If you've been to Singapore, you know the drill. Kaya toast. Soft-boiled eggs. Coffee that kicks.

It’s not just any breakfast—it’s a Singaporean ritual.

And one of the country’s favorites? Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

Today, it’s everywhere. Food courts, roadsides, airports, malls. 14+ countries. But it almost died instead of becoming a household name.

In 1998, after more than 60 years of steady business, Ya Kun (aka, “Ah Koon,” the founder and owner) faced a painful decision: shut down or not.

This is the story of how Singapore’s beloved breakfast almost disappeared—and came back bolder than ever.

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🍞 The beginning

In 1926, Loi Ah Koon arrived in Singapore from Hainan, China. With nothing more than grit and dreams to his name, he worked as an assistant at a Hainanese coffee stall.

By 1936, he saved up to start his own business, a small kopi stall of his own. He’d learn quickly that starting a business was tough. 

Like what? His business partners left him alone to run the business. Brewing coffee, grilling toast, serving eggs, handling cash. He did it all himself!

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💍 The perfect marriage

But not for long. Ah Koon got married during a trip back to China.

In 1936, his wife, Neam Kia Shai, joined him in Singapore and began working with him. She perfected the process of making their famous homemade kaya spread to go with their toast—a secret recipe!

She's also behind their signature thinly sliced toast. While it's a favorite today, it started because she sliced bread thinly to save money.

Ah Koon also began roasting his own coffee beans, adding margarine and sugar over firewood.

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💤 Decades of small-scale success

For decades, Ya Kun stayed simple and local. He only had one stall! 

On many nights, Ah Koon would sleep on the countertop of the stall to wake up on time to serve his first customers by 5 AM. 

He was kind and generous to guests, giving out the daily paper to those who enjoyed it and extending credit to regular customers too.

They became part of people’s daily lives. Workers, merchants, and families gathered around his stall every morning.

Over the years, the stall moved locations. In 1972, it relocated to Telok Ayer Market (now Lau Pa Sat). In 1984, due to renovations, it moved to Telok Ayer Transit Market. Finally, in 1998, the stall settled at Far East Square (where you’ll still find it today!).

Things went smoothly. But by the late 1990s, the Singapore hawker landscape was shifting. Rents were rising and regulations were changing.

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👋🏼 Go big or bye

And the greatest threat came in 1998. That year, the land where Ya Kun operated was set for redevelopment.

Hawkers had two options: move elsewhere and pay higher rent or close down their stall and receive SGD 16,000. 

At the time, SGD 16,000 was a huge amount.

The Loi family considered shutting down the stall, especially because Ah Koon and his wife were aging.

For the Loi family, it was a tough decision. Ah Koon was aging. Business was stable but it was no huge cash cow. The safe choice? Close down.

For the first time in its history, Ya Kun stood at the edge of closing its shutters forever.

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💙 Saved by customer love

But fate had other plans. Chia Boon Pin of Far East Organization, a longtime customer, heard about what was happening and stepped in.

He offered to let Ya Kun move to the soon-to-open Far East Square in the Central Business District (CBD).

It didn’t convince them. Rental fees were 30x higher, and they were worried they wouldn’t be able to bring in a crowd. 

So, Chia Boon Pin made an offer the family could not have imagined. He offered the space at zero rent! He simply believed Ya Kun would succeed.

It was scary. But the Lois said yes and invested in renovating the shop, then placed posters around the mall, hoping for the best.

If no one came, this would be the end. But on Day 1, something incredible happened.

A queue wrapped around the shop. Office workers rushed to grab breakfast before heading to work.

In just two weeks, Ya Kun broke even. It was like nothing they’d seen before! 

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🚀 From neighborhood treasure to Singaporean icon

While this was happening, the second generation stepped up—and they brought a new energy.
Ah Koon’s youngest son, Adrin Loi, took charge. 

They opened a second outlet. And in the 2000s, they began franchising and went international. Ya Kun opened its first international outlet in Indonesia in 2001!

Especially with the franchising strategy, Ya Kun expanded its footprint beyond Singapore's shores. By 2010, the company had 40 outlets in Singapore and 30 international locations across Asia, including Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Today, there are over 70 Ya Kun outlets in Singapore and another 70 overseas, with a focus on deepening their presence in Southeast Asia.

It was once a single breakfast stall. Now, it’s one of Singapore’s most iconic brands— and an ambassador of Singapore’s breakfast culture worldwide.