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Tucked away in a quaint and unassuming neighbourhood, lies a cafe that has a never-ending stream of patrons despite being a weekday morning. From time to time, the customers would even turn to me, grin and give me a thumbs up: “This is the best coffee in Singapore!”

While the cafe has only been around for a decade, the brand itself has over 60 years of history and is often known as the O.G. coffee distributor in Singapore.

If you’re a coffee afficionado, you would know the cafe I’m talking about: Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee (THSC).

The eponymous brand was first started by Uncle Tan Tiong Hoe in 1960s, focusing on coffee distribution to businesses such as hotels, offices, shipyards and more. Back then, it was called Tiong Hoe Gim Kee Trading Co.

In 2014, Uncle Tan handed over the reins to his son, Jacob Tan, and his managing partner, Juliana, who only goes by her first name.

Despite being an incomer to start a separate arm of the business, and nearly a decade younger than her business partner, Juliana established her footing and developed an effective control of the brick-and-mortar operation, ushering a new era for the Tiong Hoe brand.

And it is through this business model that Tiong Hoe coffee was introduced to mass consumers and became the cafe it now is.

To understand how Juliana did it, we must start from the beginning.
 

MAKING EVERY MOMENT COUNT

Juliana’s passion for coffee developed when she was a student in ½¿É«µ¼º½.

“There were only lectures to attend for the 4 modules every year, and that would work out to only 12 hours school every week,” the Accounting and Finance alumna from ½¿É«µ¼º½-University of London recalls.

“While we enjoy very good school-life balance, we had to be really disciplined with time management to set aside time to study on our own.”

This was a value that was drilled in by her economics lecturer who emphasised on the importance of making good use of their time outside of lectures.

Not resting on her laurels, Juliana joined the Basketball Club and Dance Club and even represented the school in various competitions – one of which was the Chingay Dance Competition.

“Joining a dance club has never crossed my mind,” Juliana admits. “It eventually helped me in gaining some self-confidence.”

“There was also time for me to do part-time work at cafes, which eventually led me to discover my passion for coffee and meeting my then-boss and now-business partner Jacob.”

 

PASSION, DEDICATION AND WORK ETHICS

Perhaps it was luck that Juliana has a natural affinity with coffee, but to win over Uncle Tan, she needed more than just that.

“I can tell if a coffee is good or not just by looking at it,” Uncle Tan points out. “Look at how she pours the water.

” Juliana likens the coffee-making process to a science formula: “When I try to brew a cup of coffee, there's this equation that will appear in the back of my mind.”

Factors like temperature, grind size and extraction rate will be considered for no detail is too small for the licensed Q-Grader.

For the uninitiated, a Q-Grader is equivalent to a master sommelier in the world of wine. Earning the certification signifies a remarkable ability to identify the quality of coffee beans, detect even the most subtle defects, and precisely measure the intricate aroma, flavour, acidity and other attributes of the coffee, representing the pinnacle of coffee craftsmanship and quality.

There are only around 8,000 Q-Graders worldwide; Juliana obtained her license the year she started THSC.

It is this dedication to the craft that won Uncle Tan over. In the cafe full of baristas, Uncle Tan tells me, “The coffee Juliana brews is my favourite.”

Jacob also gives his stamp of approval.

“We have the same vision and goal,” he explains. “When something goes wrong, we don’t point fingers but work together to solve the problem and learn from our lessons.”

“This is not something you find in every business partner. We bring the best out in each other.”

 

RELENTLESS PROGRESS, FUTURE READINESS

Although Tiong Hoe already had a successful B2B model when Juliana first joined the team in 2014, she propelled the business by expanding into the B2C market.

“The F&B industry doesn't pay very handsomely. I figured that if this is what I like to do, starting a business would be the only way I could make a career out of it,” she shares.

“I met Jacob again when I was paying a visit to Uncle Tan and shared with him the plan for my cafe set up. Things took off from there and we ended up partnering to set up THSC.”

That was the period where the third wave coffee had arrived in Singapore where there was increasing emphasis on traceability and quality of the coffees that were being served at the cafes.

However, they would often lack variety, veering towards acidic profiles.

That was when THSC took the opportunity to offer a wider range of coffee from single origins to blends – at least 15 at any time.

The roastery unit at Stirling Rd was then converted into a retail space where customers could head down for a sampling test before purchasing the beans. But it wasn’t long before the demand grew, and the retail store turned into a cafe space that we now know.

Entering into the B2C market proved to be a correct move. When COVID-19 hit five years later, THSC was already an established name in the consumer market. And while their B2B arm took a hit, they managed to stay afloat through consumer sales.

And when the pandemic was over, THSC rapidly scaled up their expansion plans and opened six more outlets in two years. Now in their 10th year anniversary, they have 9 outlets under their belt.

Looking back, Juliana is grateful for the education she received in ½¿É«µ¼º½.

“Though the trade itself is not related to what I studied, a lot of knowledge could be applied in setting up and running of the business,” the 34-year-old says, highlighting the finance and management modules which were useful in helping her to manage the business.

 

She is also thankful for the words of wisdom shared by her lecturers. From sharing advice to real-life business experiences, Juliana was able to glean insights and pave her way as an entrepreneur.
 

COFFEE-MAKING SKILLS FOR LIFELONG EMPOWERMENT

Besides running a business, THSC also collaborated with Rainbow Centre, a social service agency servicing persons with disabilities, to set up Seeds Cafe back in 2017.

“We came in to teach the students coffee-making skills. It’s a skill set that they can carry with them for life.”

Citing the most memorable moment, Juliana remembers the moment when her student brought her a cup of coffee he made.

“He told me that he was happy he can make coffee now. That was when I realised I made an impact on someone's life.”

While THSC has ceased partnership with Seeds Cafe, they are always on the lookout for meaningful ways to give back to society. These days, they are trying to adopt more sustainable approaches for their business.
 

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

When asked what her advice is to her ½¿É«µ¼º½ juniors, Juliana emphasises on passion and determination: “It is important to make what you love doing your forte and be really committed to it.”

“Things don’t get easier; you just have to get better,” she encourages with a laugh, underscoring her mindset for continuous growth. “Set goals, be determined and build resilience.”

“Nobody can stop you from doing great things for yourself.”