Why & How I Opened a Profitable Bagel Shop in Singapore by 30

So, I never really planned to open a bagel shop. The Bagel Bunch kind of happened over time through a mix of gut instinct, burnout, and a craving for something I couldn’t find anywhere else. 

In this article, I’ll walk you through how it all came together: from spotting a gap in the market and baking out of my tiny home kitchen, to bootstrapping the business with savings, finding the right physical space, and building out a menu that actually reflects Singapore’s multicultural flavours. 

I’ll also talk about navigating licenses, setting up the kitchen, hiring people who vibe with the chaos, and growing the brand without losing our original voice. 

If you’re thinking about starting something of your own, especially in F&B, I hope this gives you a real, unfiltered look at what it actually takes.

The Spark — Why Start a Bagel Shop in Singapore?

From Curiosity to Commitment: My Journey Into Bagels

So, honestly, I never set out thinking, “I’m gonna open a bagel shop and turn it into a full-on business.”

It just kinda happened, bit by bit. I was doing everything solo for a really long time — baking in my own kitchen, taking orders manually over Instagram, writing stuff down, collecting payments in cash.

No CRM, no fancy system or anything. And yeah, it was hectic. But the more I did it, the more I felt, okay, maybe there’s something here. It wasn't just a fun side hustle anymore.

People were responding to it, and I started getting regulars. Eventually, I pulled in some friends who were down to build this thing with me, and that was really the moment it went from “just vibes” to “okay, let’s do this properly.”

Discovering a Hidden Niche in Singapore’s Food Landscape

I didn’t do some crazy deep-dive market research or build out a business plan with spreadsheets and charts or whatever. It was more just of observing what was around.

I noticed that most bagel places in Singapore were doing the standard New York-style stuff, and that’s cool, but I was like, “Hey, why not do something that actually feels closer to home?” You know, with Asian flavours and a more local twist.

That was really the gap I saw — no one was doing fusion-style bagels that actually represent the kind of food we grew up with here.

So I thought, why not try it? Just go for it. It felt like something people didn’t know they wanted yet — but once they tried it, they were like, “Oh damn, this actually slaps.”

How Long Did You Take to Become Profitable?

It definitely didn’t happen overnight. We weren’t profitable in the first year for sure and honestly, that’s pretty normal for F&B. 

It usually takes a couple of years just to break even, especially if you're bootstrapping everything like we did. We didn’t take any bank loans or have investor money to rely on, so every decision had to be super calculated. 

We were really careful with spending and tried to build the business in a way that let us grow slowly without overextending. I’d say it took a good few years before we actually started seeing a steady profit and could say the business was sustainable. 

It’s not flashy, but it’s real. And once we hit that point, it gave us the confidence to start thinking bigger without the stress of whether we could keep the lights on next month.

What was that one thing that contributed to your success?

Honestly, it was staying true to the core idea of making something that felt personal and culturally relevant.

A lot of people jump into trends or copy what’s working overseas, but I think what helped us stand out was that the bagels we made actually spoke to local tastes. We weren’t trying to be another New York bagel shop.

Butter chicken bagels (left) and korean fried chicken bagels (right)

We were making sambal bagels, curry bagels, stuff that people here could connect with. That authenticity really carried through, not just in the food but in how we ran the whole brand.

From how we talked on social media to how we handled orders in the early days, it always felt like us. People picked up on that and supported it.

So yeah, if I had to name one thing, it’s that — just being real and building something that actually made sense in the context of our community.

Wrestling with Doubt and Burnout in the Early Days

Gotta smile for the camera even when we’re drained!

The beginning was...brutal.

I don’t think people realize how emotionally and physically exhausting it is to run an F&B business, especially when you’re starting out with zero experience.

There were so many days where I was just completely drained — not sleeping enough, juggling everything myself, trying to keep up with orders and also just keep the lights on, you know?

And yeah, I had doubts. So many doubts. Is this even sustainable? Is this niche too weird? Are people really gonna get it?

There were moments when I thought about quitting — not because I didn’t love it, but because I was just running on fumes. But every time someone came back and said, “Yo, that bagel was insane,” it reminded me that, okay, maybe I’m on the right path.

It’s just that the early grind is real — and no one really prepares you for that.

Step-by-Step Guide to Launching and Running Your Bagel Business in Singapore

1) Market Research and Finding a Niche

To be honest, I didn’t dive into spreadsheets or conduct super in-depth market surveys when I started.

It was more of an on-the-ground kind of awareness — just keeping my eyes open and noticing what was already out there.

Most of the bagel shops in Singapore were focused on the classic Western-style stuff, which is fine, but there wasn’t really anyone doing something that felt rooted in local flavours or culture.

That gap stood out to me.

So I took a closer look at how others were positioning themselves — the kind of menus they had, the aesthetics, the pricing. That gave me a better sense of how I could differentiate.

Fusion bagels felt like a natural direction because they allowed me to blend something familiar with something unique. It wasn’t just about being different for the sake of it — I wanted the flavours to really resonate with people here.

That combination of observation and intuition is what helped me shape the concept early on.

2) Initial Capital and Funding Strategy

We went into this with a very practical mindset.

No big investors, no bank loans — just me and my business partner pooling our savings to make it work. We were very intentional about keeping our costs low at the start. We didn’t splurge on unnecessary equipment or fancy branding — it was all very lean.

And part of that was because we understood that in F&B, profitability doesn’t come immediately. It’s not one of those businesses where you break even in a few months.

Sometimes it takes a couple of years just to see consistent returns, and we planned for that. We made sure to manage our expectations and stretch our capital across as many months as possible.

I think that kind of financial discipline is something a lot of people underestimate when starting a food business.

3) Business Model and First Steps

Everything started at home. Literally.

First few batches of bagels in my home oven!

I was baking out of a small kitchen, juggling orders by myself, and just trying to keep up. We didn’t have a website or any formal system for taking orders.

People would just message us on Instagram — sometimes in the DMs, sometimes through comments — and we’d write it all down manually. Payments were mostly cash or PayNow. It was messy, but it worked for that stage of the business.

Over time, though, it became clear we couldn’t keep doing things that way. Once we saw demand increasing, we knew we had to put in some structure.

So we gradually moved toward streamlining our operations — figuring out order systems, organising our kitchen workflow, and basically setting up processes that could handle more volume without everything falling apart.

4) Location, Rental & Setting Up Shop

Finding the right physical space was a bit of a process. I mean, it’s not just about what looks nice or what’s affordable — there’s a whole bunch of stuff to consider.

At the time, I didn’t even realise the address was already up on our website — we had moved from being just an online operation to having a proper storefront, but it all happened kind of organically.

When we settled on our current spot, it just made sense. We liked the vibe of the area, and it felt aligned with what we were trying to build.

Renting in Singapore isn’t cheap though, and yeah, we definitely had to negotiate quite a bit. The thing is, landlords will always try to anchor you high, so you need to be prepared to push back and justify what you can realistically afford.

Foot traffic was also a big one — like, we didn’t want to be hidden in some random back alley. We wanted to be somewhere people would casually walk by and go, “Oh what’s that? Let’s check it out.” That kind of exposure makes a real difference when you're just starting out.

5) Licenses, Permits & Compliance

This part was, honestly, kinda overwhelming at first. There’s a lot of paperwork involved in getting all the necessary licenses to run an F&B business in Singapore.

You’ve got to deal with things like the SFA food shop license, hygiene certification, and even stuff like fire safety clearances depending on your layout. It’s not just one form you fill and you’re done — it’s a few rounds of submissions, inspections, and waiting. And if something’s missing or not aligned, you get pushed back in the queue.

So my tip is, prepare all your documentation early, and if possible, talk to someone who's already done it or even hire someone who can help you with the process.

It really helps to be familiar with how long each thing might take, so you don’t get stuck delaying your opening just because you’re waiting on one permit.

6) Kitchen Setup and Equipment

Setting up the kitchen was probably one of the most technical parts of this whole thing. You can’t just walk into a space and throw in some ovens and call it a day.

Bagel production needs specific equipment — we’re talking heavy-duty mixers, boiling kettles, and proper baking ovens that can handle volume without burning everything out.

Plus, everything has to be laid out for efficiency because when orders start flying in, the last thing you want is to be bumping into your team or running around in circles.

We also had to pay close attention to hygiene standards. Like, there are specific materials you're supposed to use for surfaces, proper drainage, ventilation, all of that.

The inspections are strict, and rightly so — you’re handling food that people are going to eat, and safety’s non-negotiable. So yeah, planning out the kitchen was a huge step forward in feeling like we were running a legit operation.

7) Crafting the Menu

The whole idea behind the menu was to create something that felt both familiar and unexpected — so, yeah, fusion bagels. We didn’t want to just copy what others were doing.

It was more about asking, “What would a bagel taste like if it was made for Singaporeans?” And then we ran with that. When we were developing the menu, it wasn’t this super structured process with a product team or whatever.

It was mostly us experimenting with different flavour combinations and seeing what actually worked in a bagel format. Some came from personal cravings, others from customer suggestions or just random inspiration.

But the key was making sure the flavours weren’t just gimmicks — they had to taste good and feel intentional. We also wanted to represent the cultures that make up Singapore, so we had stuff with Chinese, Malay, and Indian influences.

There’s a harmony in the mix — and honestly, we’re still evolving it.

8) Expanding Product Offerings

We didn’t go into this thinking, “Oh, let’s be a bagel brand plus beverages plus everything else.”

But after a while, people started asking if we had drinks or other stuff. Kombucha came up because it was trending, and it also pairs well with what we serve.

But yeah, we didn’t brew it ourselves — at least not initially. Some other kombucha brands actually approached us, and we saw a good fit.

So it made sense to stock those and test how people responded. We look at demand in a pretty organic way — if people keep asking for something, or if it feels like there’s room to introduce a new product that adds value without distracting from the core, we’ll try it out.

It’s not about chasing trends blindly — it’s more about listening and seeing what naturally fits the brand.

9) Hiring and HR in F&B

Hiring in F&B is probably one of the toughest things, not gonna lie. You’re not just looking for someone who can do the job — you’re looking for people who vibe with your team and the energy of the space.

We try to look for people who are genuinely curious, adaptable, and okay with the chaos that sometimes comes with kitchen work. Experience is cool, but it’s not everything.

A lot of the time, we train people on the job — even I didn’t have barista experience at the start, so I get it.

As for performance reviews and salaries, it’s a bit different from corporate. We try to be fair, transparent, and consistent.

It’s not just about KPIs — we also look at attitude, contribution to the team, and willingness to grow. And yeah, things like salary reviews happen regularly, but we keep it real — if the business is doing well, we share that win. If not, we’re upfront about where we’re at.

10) Marketing and Branding your Bagel Shop

When it came to marketing The Bagel Bunch, I didn’t have some fancy playbook or professional agency behind me.

Everything started really grassroots — I was baking from home, learning off YouTube and Reddit, and figuring it out as I went. The brand kind of built itself around that realness. I think people resonated with the fact that it wasn’t overly polished.

Our bagels had familiar flavours like butter chicken or Korean fried chicken, but the presentation had its own vibe — playful, bold, a bit chaotic, but in a good way.

And the fact that we were offering these Asian-inflected flavours in a Western format helped the brand stand out visually and conceptually. Our goal was always to make something people would talk about and want to share.

From early on, people were tagging us, posting their meals, and helping spread the word organically. Even now with the shop, we try to keep that same feel — approachable, intentional, and a little unexpected.

That’s How the Bagel Rolls

Opening a bagel shop in Singapore has been one of the most challenging, chaotic, and rewarding things I’ve ever done.

From those early days of juggling orders on Instagram and baking in a cramped kitchen to now running a physical store with a team and a brand that people actually recognize, it’s been a wild ride. I’ve made a ton of mistakes, learned on the go, and had to grow into roles I never imagined myself taking on.

But at the end of the day, it all comes back to why I started in the first place: to create something that felt honest, flavourful, and a little different.

If you’re thinking of starting something yourself, I hope my story shows that it doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be real and something you're willing to fight for.