A long time ago, donuts were a common sight in Singapore. There were outlets in shopping centres like Far East Plaza, Marine Parade and Plaza Singapura (the old one with yaohan). These deepfried rings of dough with jam filings or frosty icing never caught on with Singaporeans and most of such specialty stores have since left our shores.
Fast forward to late 2006 - an era when the average joe and jane are health nuts (well, at least compared to the 60s?). The new age when health products are a staple in almost every homes and TV's health evangelists preaching everyday about body-wellness - you would expect this to spell doom for junk-food businesses. But no, when Donut Factory opened its first outlet, all hell broke loose.
Despite having foreseen young Singaporeans' immense interest in the pastry (there were actually multiple enquiries and pleas to Donut Giants like Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts and many ardent fans flooded Singapore forums like HWZ with multiple threads), few companies batted an eyelid about re-opening stores in Singapore as the market was deemed too small. Re-igniting young Singaporeans' with donut culture proved to be worthwhile for Donut Factory as queues snaked from morning till night outside these donut patisserie hoping to bring home dozens of sinful delights. Donuts and coffee was a simple recipe for success. Needless to say, the boss laughed all the way to the bank while kids and adults alike chomped on calorie-laden cheap treats.
After a damn long while, it seems that Dunkin' Donuts have picked up some signsl from god-knows-where that popularity for donuts has soared in this little red dot of a country. I do not concur though, since the craze has seemingly died down with so many Donut Factory-s and J.Co Donuts. Sometimes I really cannot fathom some of those in business. Didnt the bubble tea prove enough as a lesson? At times of economic uncertainty, people might take comfort indulging in donuts. Though, I expect this to be short-lived.
No comments:
Post a Comment