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Photo: Morning
Singapore’s love affair with coffee is a well-documented one. From the traditional kopi stalls to the rise of specialty cafes, our palates have become increasingly discerning. With evolving preferences, coffee-tech company Morning stands out — not just for its innovative coffee capsules and machine that brews precisely crafted cups of joe at the touch of a dial but also for its robust entrepreneurial spirit.
Leon Foo, 42, the mastermind behind Morning, is no stranger to the local coffee industry. Having established himself as a champion of specialty coffee in Southeast Asia and the founder of PPP Coffee, Foo saw a market gap: how to bring quality coffee into the convenience of one’s home.
In 2020, this vision brewed into the Morning Machine — a sleek Internet of Things-enabled (IoT) capsule coffee machine paired with a subscription-based coffee capsule model from specialty roasters. The Morning Machine allows users to customise temperature, pressure profiles, and the user’s water-to-coffee ratio for each brew.
Co-founder of Morning, Leon Foo. (Photo: Morning)
After selling over 10,000 machines online over the past four years, Morning opened its first brick-and-mortar store on June 29 at New Bahru, marking a key chapter in the company’s growth.
Foo says: “Similar to how I couldn’t fully experience the tasting notes of the coffee I read about at the back of the box as a consumer before I started to create Morning, what we’re trying to do with a physical shop is create a space where consumers can taste the coffee before buying it, whether that be online or in-store. This omni-channel experience is important even in this digital age.”
Why did it take them four years to set up a physical space? He explains that they wanted to focus on brand building and product traction before opening a store. “New Bahru checked all the boxes: perfect size, great neighbours, and a creative environment that aligns with our brand.”
Morning’s physical space in New Bahru promises activities such as coffee bar takeovers and collaborations. (Photo: Morning)
Stepping into the Morning store is an immersive experience. Visitors can brew a cuppa with the store’s selection of 50 capsules from 20 roasters. Foo recommends the limited edition Wush Wush Natural, made with a highly sought-after coffee varietal from Ethiopia, and the Momos Es Chocolat from a South Korean roaster based in Busan.
He envisions it as a space where local roasters and coffee enthusiasts can connect, fostering a vibrant coffee community. Imagine attending coffee bar takeovers, discussing new brewing techniques with fellow coffee lovers, or simply experiencing a new cup of joe.
Walk-in customers can enjoy a complimentary coffee sampling experience: After choosing their preferred coffee capsules, they can get a hands-on demonstration of using the Morning Machine and pair their cuppas with cookies.
Consumers can also expect limited-edition releases, such as the one with design firm Tanchen Studio. For this collaboration, the companies created two new colourways for the limited-edition machine, the Morning Machine Lite, as well as coasters, placemats, and more to complement the brewing experience.
Morning’s flagship store space. (Photo: Morning)
Since its launch, the brand has garnered international recognition and is set to expand its presence in the UK market. Two new machines, the Morning Dream, a standalone milk steaming device, and the Morning Mini, a more compact version of the flagship machine, will be launched separately in the second half of 2024.
Despite the expansion, Foo remains committed to the brand’s home-ground presence. The New Bahru store is the first sip of this new chapter, a robust testament to a Singaporean brand brewing a world-class coffee experience.
01-13, New Bahru
