In todays’ blog post, we are so excited to unveil our star players on the team. 🤩
Now, before we find out who runs Generation Coffee upfront on stage, or behind the scenes, first we have a question for you.
What does the word “Generation” mean to you?
Allow that question to sit and dwell in your mind for a bit.
Now let’s meet the team powering Generation.
Heading our team is Zender, a former air force engineer with an entrepreneurial mind. He first got his feet wet when his wife bought him a coffee starter kit, and has since been hooked by the art of making coffee.
Besides managing the responsibility of making the executive decisions at Generation coffee, Zender is also an avid coffee educator. He frequently shares his passion for coffee appreciation, not only with the team, but also with our customers as well. A master of words, the way Zender describes different coffee tasting notes is truly remarkable.
Who could have thought that a simple beverage like coffee could have such a plethora of flavours!
And if you’re new to coffee, spend some time chatting with Zender. I’m sure that after an insightful conversation with him, you’ll surely be inspired to get to know more about coffee as well. (Read till the end to find out why I’m so confident in this 😉)
Suddenly, this “simple” beverage doesn’t seem so simple after all.
Zender takes pride in bringing a group of passionate people together, and creating something meaningful with the team.
He truly exemplifies the epitome of leadership. Not only is he committed to bringing people from different generations together through Generation Coffee, he’s also dedicated to building the team, all from different backgrounds playing different roles, but collectively working towards a common goal.
If Zender is the brain of Generation Coffee, our next team member can be described as the arms and legs of Generation. You’ll see
In charge of daily operations at our store, Kenneth mans our stations with an amazing level of dexterity and precision, earning himself the nickname of Mr Octopus. And rightfully so.
Come visit Generation Coffee at Tekka Centre, and you’ll witness firsthand how Kenneth froths silky milk, pulls aromatic espresso shots, and masters the perfect tamp, all at seemingly breakneck speed.
With that in mind, Kenneth still delivers a stellar cup of coffee, every single time. *chef’s kiss*
Oh and did I mention, he even remembers all the orders of our regular customers. You’ll just have to gesture to him, and Kenneth will instantly start preparing your favourite drink. If you know, you know.
That’s the mark of a true barista, if you ask me.
Also a former air force engineer, Kenneth’s first exposure to coffee started with a fateful experience with an artfully crafted hand brew.
“This coffee tastes like blueberry!” he exclaimed. “I can’t believe it.” Neither could Zender, by the way.
The notes of blueberry hit Kenneth in the tastebuds, and the impact was permanent. His intrigue with the flavours of coffee sparked an exploration into the beverage which brought him to Generation Coffee. And this passion for coffee has only deepened since then.
Apart from running the store, Kenneth also has a hand in roasting the beans at Generation coffee, both for traditional kopi and also for specialty coffee.
So if you’re thinking “Wow, Kenneth is the resident coffee expert!”. Yup, you’re definitely right.
Next is our resident business expert, Boon Tong. He is Generation Coffee’s business strategist and also PR manager. A connector at heart, it’s not unusual to see Boon Tong interacting with our customers, and really bringing about the spirit of Generation. In fact, it would be unusual for Boon Tong to be at the shop, and not mingle with customers.
His philosophy is this: In life, it’s all about relationships. And he certainly embodies this philosophy in the relationships he has cultivated within the team and also with all our lovely customers.
In line with the spirit of connection at Generation, Boon Tong firmly believes that what matters most in life is how we impact others in a positive way. He has full faith in Generation Coffee, and recalls fondly how a customer remarked that our coffee is the “best in town”.
Score for Team Generation!
Boon Tong looks forward to Generation Coffee gaining more traction and slowly warming up into the hearts and minds of coffee lovers in Singapore. And with Generation’s entire mission being about bringing people together and serving great coffee, we are hopeful that it is just a matter of time before our dreams will become reality.
We’re keeping the faith!
Having said that, we are always open to opportunities to expand the business. So if you feel like we have goals that align with yours, feel free to contact us. Let’s work on something magical and fulfilling together!
Also an important part of our team is Victor, who juggles two hats (and very efficiently too, might I add) of being a full-time student and also our specialty coffee roaster. He’s also in charge of accounting matters at Generation Coffee. Wait, make that three hats!
A self taught roaster, he first got inspired to hone his coffee skills after a
…
...
You guessed it, Zender 😆
Victor became obsessed with his new hobby, and started watching videos about all things coffee. He even purchased a small roaster and tried out roasting coffee beans himself. Wow, talk about commitment to a new skill!
As university schedules are quite hectic and sometimes unpredictable, Victor spends his weekdays completing schoolwork, so that he can reserve his weekends for Generation Coffee, roasting coffee beans to order for our subscription customers.
Fancy treating yourself to a pack of our beans? You’re more than welcome to order yours here. Choose from a variety of single origins or our proprietary Pioneer Blend (Nanyang Kopi)
During his holidays or when he has more free time, Victor enjoys helping out at the store. As the person roasting behind the scenes, he finds satisfaction in getting comments and feedback from customers when he’s there.
If you’re seeing a running pattern here, where all our team members enjoy and appreciate the connection with Generation Coffee customers, you’re absolutely right. And super observant too!
The entire story of Generation Coffee - from our mission, to our coffee, our customers, and our future plans - is all deeply built on relationships as a firm foundation.
So, what does Generation mean to us?
“Generation” may mean very different things to different people. But to everyone on our team, it’s about connection and bringing people together. Seeing family members from several generations sitting together and bonding over cups of delicious coffee, means the world to us. And yes, we really do feel exactly the same. That’s how you tell a team is dialled in and in sync.
And here at Generation Coffee, we are definitely dialled in, perfectly calibrated, and absolutely ready to serve you your next favourite cup of coffee.
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Thanks for following along on our journey as Generation Coffee!
This is part of a 5-post blog series on The Story of Generation Coffee. Subscribe to our newsletter, so you won’t miss out when the next post is launched. And click here to catch up on our past blog posts.
We hope you enjoy reading our story!