18 n 103 48 e 1.3 n 103.8 e 1.3 ; 103.8 ya kun kaya toast the logo of ya kun kaya toast contains chinese calligraphy of the company name . type private industry food and beverage founded telok ayer basin singapore 1944 founder loi ah koon headquarters far east square 18 china street singapore area served china indonesia japan myanmar singapore south korea taiwan philippines key people adrin loi executive chairman algie loi products kaya toast number of employees 300 as of 2012 1 website official website ya kun kaya toast simplified chinese is a singaporean chain of mass market retro ambience cafes selling toast products notably kaya toast soft boiled eggs and coffee . founded by loi ah koon in 1944 ya kun remained a small family run stall for decades but have expanded rapidly since loi s youngest son headed the business in 1999 . they have over fifty outlets mostly franchised across six countries and are a singaporean cultural icon known for their traditional brand identity and conservative people centric corporate culture . contents 1 history 2 products and stores 3 management 4 see also 5 references 5.1 cited literature 6 external links history edit in 1926 loi ah koon emigrated from hainan to singapore where he worked as a coffee stall assistant 2 then started a stall selling coffee crackers and toast at telok ayer basin 3 together with two other immigrants who later dropped out leaving him to run the stall alone . 2 4 he married while visiting relatives in hainan and after his wife settled down with him in singapore she suggested cutting each slice of bread into half and combining the toast with her homemade kaya which created their signature kaya toast . 2 5 registered in 1944 as ya kun coffeestall ya kun being ah koon in hanyu pinyin 3 6 the stall gradually developed a reputation for delicious kaya toast and friendly service . 2 5 the couple their eight children and seven other families lived in a three storey shophouse across the road where the hong leong building now stands 7 and as the children grew up they helped stir the kaya run errands 6 charcoal grill the bread and eventually manage the stall . 2 ya kun coffeestall moved to lau pa sat in 1972 but high rents and renovation of lau pa sat in 1984 sparked a return to the telok ayer market ; 2 4 nevertheless the stall continued to attract customers who came every day some from as far as jurong or woodlands . 3 in 1998 the market closed down so the stall relocated to far east square and was renamed ya kun kaya toast ; 4 6 the following year ah koon died and his youngest son loi boon sim adrin 2 took over the business 6 determined to keep his father s legacy going . 6 realising that ya kun had a lot of goodwill and potential 2 adrin decided to expand the business so the family opened a second store at tanjong pagar and in 2000 began franchising the brand . 6 since ya kun were incorporated in 2001 5 launched their first overseas outlet in indonesia 8 in 2002 and expanded their menu adding ice cream toast and the toastwich 7 they have won the 2004 and 2005 superbrands award 6 the 2005 to 2007 sifst product award and the 2008 spba citibusiness regional brands award . 5 9 products and stores edit kaya toast with boiled eggs and coffee is the signature dish of ya kun kaya toast . ya kun kaya toast have over forty singaporean outlets 10 about half of which are franchised 9 11 and over thirty overseas outlets 10 all franchised 9 across seven countries china indonesia japan myanmar south korea taiwan and the philippines ; they plan to expand to brunei india malaysia the maldives thailand and the united arab emirates in future . 9 10 the stores have a retro ambience 12 13 with wooden tables and stools 12 chinese calligraphy of the company name 14 posters about their history 7 traditional methods of preparing food and customer service reflecting chinese family values . 12 13 unlike their main competitors they have a limited menu that revolves around their core product kaya toast 12 with cheese peanut butter and ice cream as alternative spreads for their thin brown crispy bread . 7 to appeal to a wider demographic ya kun also sell french toast and toastwiches their asian alternative to sandwiches ; 11 12 set meals combine any type of toast with soft boiled eggs and a beverage usually coffee or teh tarik . 7 11 prices at local ya kun stores are slightly higher than those at kopitiams but lower than prices of comparable products at western coffeehouse chains operating in singapore 11 12 while food at overseas ya kun outlets is relatively expensive . 8 11 all outlets obtain their ingredients from the same suppliers and some ingredients notably the kaya and coffee powder are made at the ya kun factory in bedok 15 using recipes that only a few of the loi family know . 6 the chain are widely regarded as an institution of good kaya toast 15 and a singaporean cultural icon 8 that the singapore tourism board has promoted as a tourist attraction . 12 a ming pao review praised the crispy but not hard fragrant but not burnt toast and fresh kaya 13 while a straits times review described the toast as evenly sliced and of the right texture the eggs as cooked to perfection and the teh tarik as not too milky and not overpoweringly sweet either . 15 management edit ya kun kaya toast comprises two companies ya kun singapore which manages the ya kun factory and two corporate outlets and ya kun international which oversees the chain of outlets and franchising activities . 5 adrin has an 80 percent share of ya kun singapore and his younger brother algie has a 20 percent share 6 with other members of the loi family actively involved in daily activities 7 while ya kun international is fully owned by adrin loi . 5 their corporate culture is conservative and people centric 14 with emphasis on preserving their brand identity as their chengnuo commitment or promise to their customers 3 9 11 12 sustainable growth over actively pursuing new opportunities 4 12 nurturing family like relationships among staff they do not fire or retrench workers 14 and avoiding aggressive conflict with competitors . 2 although ya kun do not publicly disclose their financial figures a 2009 lianhe zaobao article estimated that the company had an annual revenue of s 8 million 11 while a 2012 article in the star stated they had 300 employees . 16 see also edit vegetarian and vegan restaurants in singapore references edit expansion plans a brewing at ya kun . asia one . october 29 2012 . retrieved february 22 2014 . a b c d e f g h i tan lei 60 good reputation of brand built over 60 years lianhe zaobao 29 june 2003 . a b c d teo pau lin kaya war spreads the straits times 17 august 2003 . a b c d toast of the town the business times 24 june 2003 . a b c d e f koh 2010 pp. 1 6 . a b c d e f g h i tan yi hui toast to sweet success the straits times 9 march 2009 . a b c d e f ya kun wants to keep the old charm the business times 5 july 2002 . a b c low shi ping a toast to expansion in asean the edge singapore 3 december 2007 . a b c d e hu yuanwen branding helps companies crack into overseas markets lianhe zaobao 10 august 2010 . a b c the ya kun family a b c d e f g xu fugang our brand identity lies in our commitment to our customers lianhe zaobao 14 may 2009 . a b c d e f g h i koh 2010 pp. 7 19 . a b c chen junwei toast with a heart ming pao 18 september 2008 . a b c koh 2010 pp. 81 96 . a b c sandra leong toast to toast the straits times 16 april 2006 . toh yong chuan expansion plans a brewing at ya kun the star 29 october 2012 . cited literature edit william koh 2010 . the top toast ya kun and the singapore breakfast tradition . cengage learning asia . isbn 9814281654 . external links edit official website v t e gastronomy in singapore main articles sorted by alphabet by types of restaurant caf s and coffee shop fast food restaurant food court hawker centre restaurants specialty food shops fine dining vegetarian and vegan by types of grocery shops convenience store shopping mall supermarket by lists local authority types of restaurants caf s and coffee shop coffee shop d lifrance dunkin donuts illy julius meinl killiney kopitiam kopi tiam massimo zanetti mccaf n.y.d.c. oldtown white coffee o coffee club pacific coffee company paul starbucks the coffee bean & tea leaf trung nguy n ya kun kaya toast fast food restaurant 4 fingers burger king kfc mcdonalds mos burger popeyes louisiana kitchen subway food courts equinox complex food court food republic hawker centre east coast seafood centre food hall hawker centre mamak stall newton food centre tekka centre telok ayer market restaurant chili s crystal jade culinary concept holdings eighteen chefs hai di lao hard rock cafe jack s place jumbo seafood komala s restaurants long beach seafood restaurant murugan idli shop nando s pastamania pizza hut swensen s sakae sushi tony roma s thai express specialty food shops auntie anne s baskin robbins ben & jerry s breadtalk dairy queen din tai fung genki sushi ippudo mr bean old chang kee paul standing sushi bar twelve cupcakes yoshinoya fine dining restaurants iggy s bread street kitchen chefs jamie oliver wolfgang puck mario batali david myers gordon ramsay vegetarian vegetarian annalakshmi komala s restaurants murugan idli shop saravana bhavan vegan loving hut veganburg types of grocery shops convenience stores 7 eleven cheers by fairprice sph buzz mama shop shopping malls malls in central singapore bugis junction bugis change alley city square mall great world city ion orchard liang court marina bay sands mustafa centre ngee ann city orchard central orchard gateway people s park centre people s park complex plaza singapura raffles city sim lim square tangs tekka centre the central the centrepoint the verge wisma atria wheelock place malls in the marina centre marina square millenia walk suntec city malls in the east 112 katong bedok mall bedok point century square changi airport changi city point east point mall leisure park kallang parkway parade tampines 1 tampines mall white sands malls in the north amk hub causeway point hdb hub junction 8 northpoint shopping centre novena square square 2 malls in the north east 1 sengkang mall heartland mall hougang mall nex the seletar mall waterway point malls in the north west junction 10 lot one shoppers mall west mall malls in the south harbourfront centre marina bay link mall queensway shopping centre vivocity malls in the west clementi mall gek poh shopping centre imm singapore jcube jem jurong point shopping mall pioneer mall star vista tiong bahru plaza westgate supermarkets cold storage giant jasons market place meidi ya ntuc fairprice sheng siong isetan local other markets food street food truck ice cream van mamak stall night market pasar malam religious goods store street food wet market lists food and drink prohibitions list of coffeehouse chains list of chicken restaurants list of countries with organic agriculture regulation 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