big short coffee turns two 🎂🎉

it feels a little surreal writing this because we've been so busy that we haven't really had time to stop and look back. there was always another seasonal menu to develop, another recipe to tweak or another project waiting just around the corner. and somewhere in the middle of all this whirlwind, two years slipped by.

two years worth of ootd in our archives

it's amazing to think it's been two whole years since we first unlocked the doors to our little corner coffee bar in joo chiat. back then, we were simply trying to build a space where people could enjoy really good coffee without feeling intimidated by it.

so for our birthday, we are giving ourselves permission to do something we rarely do: slow down and reflect on just how much has happened.

eight menus later

when we were conceptualising big short coffee back in 2024, we knew we wanted our menu to revolve around the seasons. we never wanted to fit in or do things simply because that's how they've always been done, and to be frank, it was really scary.

the parts you don't usually get to see

changing an entire menu every few months wasn't exactly the norm in singapore's cafe scene, and we had no idea how people would respond. what if no one liked what we were doing? what if someone finally found a drink they loved, only for us to take it away a few months later? would they come back? would they embrace something completely new? 

we genuinely didn't know, but here we are, eight menus later.

many drinks became instant favourites and others just quietly made way for the next season. even now, our new menu launches still come with a few butterflies because every drink we put out into the world feels a little like letting go of something we have spent months trying to perfect.

looking back through all eight menus now feels a little like flipping through an old photo album. some creations remind us of late nights in the kitchen, others remind us of recipes that took countless attempts before they finally felt right. and we’re sure some of you still have a favourite drink that you have never quite forgiven us for taking off the menu. 

our milestones

when we first opened our doors in joo chiat, we were hoping people would understand what we were trying to create. so everything after that has felt like a bonus. so far, we've gone through eight seasons of menu changes, shared our story on cna radio and straits times, and even opened a second home at beach road.

our little coffee bar, featured in the straits times

but when we think about the moments that were most impactful, they aren't necessarily the biggest ones. they're the familiar faces we catch up with over the bar, conversations that pick up exactly where they left off and customers who slowly started feeling more like friends. 

they're the people who travelled across the island just to try a new seasonal menu, the regulars who brought someone new because they'd been talking about a drink all week and the little moments that reminded us people genuinely cared about what we were creating.

of course, there were moments we never expected too. seeing local artistes and even chinese actress and singer wang yuwen walk through our doors was definitely one of them. it's funny how life works sometimes. one day you're wondering if anyone will walk through your doors, and the next you're serving coffee to someone you've only ever seen on a screen.

welcoming chinese actress and singer wang yuwen to big short coffee

but none of these moments happened because of us alone. every season was made meaningful because of the people who shared them with us and big short coffee became more than just a place to grab coffee. it became a place where people return, reconnect and share little parts of their day with us.

our second home

the opportunity to open beach road came around much sooner than we expected. opening a second outlet was exciting, but what made it even more meaningful was the chance to create a space that truly felt like us.

the early days of bringing big short coffee to life in joochiat

when we opened joo chiat, almost every decision came down to practicality. we were bootstrapping everything and simply trying to get the doors open. but we've learnt so much about who we are as a brand and the kind of experience we wanted to create. beach road gave us the opportunity to bring all of that to life.

looking around the space today, we're incredibly happy with how it turned out and of course, no renovation goes exactly to plan. but we'll save those stories for another day.

when we were still building beach road

thank you

when we look back at everything that has happened, it still amazes us how much can change in just two years. thank you for being part of every step along the way. whether you've been with us since the early days or only recently discovered us, we are so grateful that you chose to spend your time with us.

the full team at our beach road soft launch

we've only shared a small part of the story behind beach road so far. there are still plenty of little moments, decisions and behind-the-scenes stories that we haven't talked about yet, so keep an eye out for part two.

happy second birthday to us 💙