kopitiam at tampines mart

The success story of Kopitiam - a popular local chain of coffee shops, is the story of Lim Ben Huat, a very savvy businessman who started working at a tender age of nine as a coffee stall helper at Esplanade Food Center. When he tendered for a coffee shop at Bishan Street 11 - a public housing estate for 2 million dollar in 1989, people thought he was crazy. Today, Kopitiam investment chain owns 8 food courts, 5 coffee shops, 2 cafes and about 20 stalls selling desserts.