Ariel Tang had always loved baking, first picking it up for fun when she was just 14 years old.
That early hobby soon blossomed into something more—she later pursued a diploma in culinary science, even selling cupcakes and brownies during festive seasons like Chinese New Year and Christmas.
After completing her diploma, Ariel spent two years working in various kitchens and bakeries, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Yet, practicality led her to pursue a degree in media communications instead. But it was during Singapore’s partial lockdown in April 2020—spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and what she describes as an early quarter-life crisis—that she found herself with “a lot more free time” to reflect on her true passions.
Juggling an increasingly stressful PR job, she turned back to baking as a much-needed creative outlet. Inspired by recipes she found online, Ariel began experimenting with baking bomboloni—originating from Italy, these airy donuts are distinctive for their round shape and golden brown fried surface.
Putting her own spin on the classic, she swapped traditional yeast for sourdough, giving the treat a unique, tangy twist. Her creation was an instant hit—friends quickly became her first fans, urging her to start selling them.
Word spread fast, and soon, Ariel gained the confidence to sell her bomboloni online from her home kitchen, marking the start of The Fat Kid Bakery.
Growing into a full-fledged store
At first, Ariel tried to juggle her PR job while managing her bomboloni business, sometimes even working 24-hour shifts.
It was the only choice she had back then due to the scale of her personal kitchen equipment, which only allowed her to make bomboloni in small batches.
But as demand grew, it became impossible to juggle both. Ariel was selling up to 100 bomboloni a day, so she eventually made the decision to leave her corporate job in July 2020 to focus fully on The Fat Kid Bakery.
The business took off even further as word spread online and caught the attention of media outlets. Some time in late 2020, the Straits Times featured The Fat Kid Bakery in an article on the rise of artisanal donuts in Singapore, triggering an overnight surge of hundreds of orders—far beyond what her home kitchen could handle.
“I got a huge shock,” Ariel recalled. “I woke up with over 99 messages in my Instagram DMs, which I went on to scroll, and there were actually 500+ orders. This made me worried that I could not fulfil all the orders.”
Driven by this overwhelming response, Ariel went on to open her first bakery at Floral Vista, Ang Mo Kio, in 2021, a venture that she shared cost S$150,000 of her savings.
Moving to a bigger space
Since her early days of running the Ang Mo Kio store, Ariel has been supported by Isaac and Jai, loyal team members who have stood by her through thick and thin.
After two years together, the trio decided it was time to expand The Fat Kid Bakery’s operations. Hence, in 2023, Ariel relocated to a larger store at Amoy Street in the CBD, featuring a spacious kitchen and more standing room for customers.
While rent in the CBD is higher, Ariel shared that the trade-off is worth it for the increased foot traffic and exposure. The location of an F&B business, she emphasised, is one of the determining factors of success.
The Fat Kid Bakery’s menu has also grown since moving to Amoy Street. While the business originally focused on sweet fillings, it now offers bomboloni with savoury fillings as well, expanding its range to satisfy a wider variety of taste buds.
“Having savoury bomboloni on the menu was what I really wanted to do because I feel that it’s unique and interesting, plus no one had done at that time,” said Ariel.
“During the process of R&D, we decided on some flavours that were well-liked by Singaporeans and created these savoury fillings that would go well with our signature bomboloni.”
Challenges behind the sweetness
Over the past five years, Ariel shared that The Fat Kid Bakery has sold more than 200,000 donuts, including an impressive 40,000 in just the first seven months of 2025 alone.
Along the way, she and her team have also catered to big-name clients such as Netflix and BMW, as well as nearby offices and classes, fulfilling bulk orders with their signature bomboloni.
But of course, running a bakery comes with its fair share of challenges. Like many F&B businesses, ingredient costs—especially butter, flour, oil and eggs—have steadily risen for The Fat Kid Bakery over the years, thinning margins steadily.
Nonetheless, Ariel is fine making smaller profits over the years as she still enjoys making bomboloni and having fun with her colleagues, who have since become close friends of hers.
“I just hope to make enough money to pay my rent for the month,” Ariel joked. Despite the hurdles, she still remains resilient.
The reality may not always be rosy, but the joy of creating food people love makes it all worthwhile to her.
- Learn more about The Fat Kid Bakery here.
- Read more articles we’ve written on Singaporean startups here.
Featured Image Credit: The Fat Kid Bakery, photographed by Futurx Creatives
