Street Food Warms Your Heart: Bottle Cap Cafe at 511 Guillemard Rd #01-54 Grandlink Square S(399849)

Friday, March 13, 2015

Bottle Cap Cafe at 511 Guillemard Rd #01-54 Grandlink Square S(399849) - The Co-Founders

Introduction

Back in Jan 2014, Co-Founder Annabelle Choo, 33 & hubby Co-Founder & Executive Chef Khaw Kah Weng, 38, found this location at Grandlink Square at 511 Guillemard Road that was available for lease and they decided to open their dream cafe here & named it Bottle Cap Cafe.

Annabelle Choo & Chef Khaw Kah Weng like this location because it is very chilly in the evening as it is located beside the river.

This husband & wife team is very passionate about bringing affordable European Cuisine to the masses & set up their flagship cafe, originally wanting it to be a Gastropub, to serve their European Cuisine paired with wine & beer, where people can come & chill out & relax, that was why they named their cafe Bottle Cap Cafe. However due to the riot in Little India last year 2013, there are ongoing restrictions on alcohol sale in Paya Lebar & Geylang area, they ended up with a cafe concept instead.

Positioning
Bottle Cap Cafe started operations in May 2014 at 511 Guillemard Rd #01-54, Grandlink Square & is positioned as a casual cafe serving Modern European Cuisine with strong Italian influences. The name "Bottle Cap Cafe" is coined by Annabelle Choo, and is not part of any franchise brand.

How Bottle Cap Cafe stand out from the crowd that makes it uniquely Bottle Cap ?

Bottle Cap Cafe boasts of owning its own fresh herbal garden which the Founders planted in pots lining the alfresco seating area of the cafe.
Most of the sauces, pastes, marinates, ingredients used at the cafe such as fiery balls are made from scratch, to which is added fresh herbs.
The Cuisine here at Bottle Cap Cafe are pretty rustic, homely, with added fresh herbs & spices for flavor.
The kitchen here at Bottle Cap Cafe uses frozen River Cobbler for their Fish & Chips dish. Chef Khaw uses a special batter for the Cobbler fish & Chips.
The Bottle Cap Cafe kitchen acts as the central kitchen with all sauces, marinates & dressings prepared from scratch at the kitchen here.
Bottle Cap Cafe offers personalised table service with the human touch & does not use order chits.

Expansion Plans

Currently there is only al fresco seating available at Bottle Cap Cafe. Annabelle & Chef Khaw are trying to apply to extend their space indoors so customers can dine in air-con comfort.
The couple hope to open 3 to 4 outlets in the next 3 years' time within Singapore. Currently the couple manage Bottle Cap Cafe under holding company called : Asia Food Solutions Pte Ltd. Currently they have not yet trademark the brand Bottle Cap Cafe. They have not rule out possibility of franchising the brand once they have trademarked it & the brand becomes a success. They invested 5 figure sum to launch this brand here in the east and hope to break-even in less then 2 years.

Menu Planning
The Co-Founders change the Bottle Cap Cafe Menu twice a year. Food ingredients used here are generally fresh, such as the fresh chicken thigh that Chef Khaw uses for the Signature Italian Herb Chicken. The food ingredients are generally of Italian & modern European origin. Chef Khaw makes his sauces from scratch. To flavor the meats Chef Khaw adds the spices & herbs grown in the garden here at 511 Guillemard Road.

The Signatures

Bottle Cap Cafe has more than 50 items on its main menu, & serves Signatures such as

Italian Herb Chicken( *fresh chicken),
Firey Balls,
Meatball Pasta,
Spicy Salami Pizza,
Home-made Beef Burger,
Mangalica Sausage Platter,
Prime Steak
Home-made Mushroom Soup,
Signature Dessert such as Bread Pudding with ice cream.

Bottle Cap Cafe Menu 2015

Catering - Not available
Takeaways - Minimum order of S$10, Self collect.
Ordering - Table service.
Payment - Cash & NETS only.

Background & Role of
Co-Founder Executive Chef Khaw Kah Weng

Co-Founder & Executive Chef Khaw Kah Weng is an F&B veteran with 20 years' experience in the F&B industry, having worked for several large F&B companies since 18 years old, such as Delifrance, Carl's Junior, Pasta Mania.

He started as a baker & over the years, rose from the ranks, working from the backend to the frontline restaurant operations. Chef Khaw (*Weng**) became where he is right now through rigorous training on the job.

Besides Chef Khaw, his mother is also a veteran in F&B industry for close to more than 30 years as a trainer & has been in major F&B companies such as Delifrance.

Background & Role of Co-Founder Annabelle Choo

Co-Founder Annabelle Choo brings with her 20 years' experience in the F&B industry, her area of expertise mainly in the HR department. Co-Founder Annabelle Choo, 33, handles PR Marketing HR whilst Co-Founder Chef Khaw Kah Weng, 38, (*known as Chef Weng at Bottle Cap Cafe**) handles kitchen & menu.

Annabelle Choo's venture into the F&B food business is in part inspired by her mother who sells noodles in a school canteen for close to 20 years. Her sister is in the F&B business as well, running Bubble Tea shop in Yishun area.