8 years into running their cafe, this S’porean couple found a new coffee niche to tap into

Vivian and Douglas aren’t strangers to the world of coffee.

For more than a decade now, they’ve been brewing countless cups for patrons of their cafe, Tolido’s Espresso Nook, located at Crawford Lane. But this isn’t their only coffee venture.

At the tail end of COVID-19, while cooped up at home, the couple came up with another more versatile business idea: a home-based coffee house. 

“Our heart during that period of isolation when most people were working from home, was to make this difficult season for everyone a little better through coffee,” Vivian and Douglas told us.

So with their coffee setup at home, they began selling the caffeinated drinks to those in their neighbourhood. It didn’t take long for word to get around, and business began picking up.

Residents in their apartment block would pre-order coffee on their online portal, then come collect it from the couple’s unit. That’s how Chip off the Old Block (COTOB) Coffee started and got its name.

But they never imagined that this small pandemic project would turn into so much more.

From drive-thrus to omakase

When Singapore began to open up again post-pandemic, COTOB Coffee became even more popular. Customers from different parts of Singapore would even drive to the couple’s lobby to pick up their coffee, almost like a drive-thru.

To grow the business, they began experimenting with a home omakase concept. Customers would visit their home for a specially curated coffee experience.

This led to an epiphany and a stronger vision for the brand: to brew boutique coffee experiences. 

“Our mission was to bring that to people directly, instead of getting people to come to us,” they expressed. Achieving this required mobility and so they turned the home-based coffee shop into a versatile coffee cart.

Another major change to the business was their target market. Where once it was only those in their neighbourhood, now they looked beyond just those close by. 

Other businesses began to fill their clientele list, like Google who was their first B2B event customer.

The possibilities seem endless

Speaking candidly, Vivian and Douglas explained that their aim with COTOB Coffee is to use coffee as a means of adding value to anyone’s event. This is why you’ll find that they don’t just brew coffee, but also offer other services as well.

For example, you could request for latte art workshops or even coffee pairings with product activations. “The possibilities grow with each and every passing year.”

The couple’s business innovations don’t stop at just service concepts, either. Their menu boasts a rather interesting take for those that aren’t interested in the usual black and white coffee. 

COTOB Coffee also offers a range of bottled Onsen Coffees. These are made using sous-vide as a unique brewing method.

Depending on the event, they’ll also craft bespoke coffees to best fit their client’s needs. They partner with a specific roaster to create the brand’s signature blend of beans from Mexico and Peru. These combined produce a chocolate-y and buttery flavour.

Beyond coffee, you can find options like chai, matcha, and also tiramisus for a not-too-sweet treat.

“Beyond the limitations of a cafe”

All that said, I couldn’t help but wonder what the reason for COTOB Coffee’s existence was. They had already built a strong following with Tolido’s Espresso Nook since 2013, so why not just ride on that instead of starting a new brand?

It’s apparently a sentiment that many have expressed to Vivian and Douglas too.

To this, the couple clarified that each of their two business ventures have their own unique visions. “COTOB Coffee was a creative outlet for us where we could go beyond the limitations of a cafe.”

“We wanted COTOB Coffee to have its own identity with the flexibility to collaborate with all sorts of brands that resonate with our vision.”

With COTOB Coffee approaching its three-year mark, the couple feel very blessed that there’s been a compounding following through their events. From their humble beginnings from home to now serving corporate giants and business conferences, business has been flourishing.

As a matter of fact, their boutique coffee experiences have entered the retail realm this year with the launch of COTOB Coffee’s online store with worldwide shipping. It features the brand’s merchandise like originally designed caps and shirts, as well as the ability to book them for events. 

You can order their freshly made tiramisu for delivery here too.

In terms of their future goals, the plan is to grow COTOB Coffee’s dream team to make a bigger impact and cast their nets wider. “We’re also in the works of expanding our online retail offerings with exciting new product launches, and we’ll be taking on our biggest project yet for 2025.”

Picking the right battles

Managing both Tolido’s Espresso Nook and COTOB Coffee simultaneously has its ups and downs. Much like calibrating espresso, Vivian and Douglas shared that each day is different and brings its own set of challenges.

What helps them balance the two ventures is knowing which battles to pick for the day and taking it one day at a time.

“Bit by bit, we’re learning new ways to organise and systemise things for efficiency and consistency. [We’re] always brainstorming for solutions to remove as many variables as possible to maintain consistency in standards, or improve them,” they confided.

Transitioning from an operations mindset to one of business was also a huge learning curve. 

As founders, the couple naturally feel more comfortable doing everything themselves as it gives them more control. But they’ve since learnt that you need to find the sweet spot of what can be delegated and outsourced versus what should be done on your own.

If you don’t learn this then it might end up costing you a lot more, and not just as an entrepreneur. For Vivian and Douglas, it caused a strife in their personal relationships and led to health issues like Douglas’ slipped disc injury.

Hence, after over a decade of being entrepreneurs, their main advice is to balance priorities. “It’s so important for sustainability, especially as our life seasons change. Even with 11 years in, we’re barely scraping the surface and we’ll always be learning.”

Featured Image Credit: COTOB Coffee