Cover Behind the latte art and expertly pulled shots at Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry lies an ecosystem built on a holistic approach to transforming lives and livelihoods
Behind the latte art and expertly pulled shots at Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry lies an ecosystem built on a holistic approach to transforming lives and livelihoods
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Behind the latte art and expertly pulled shots at Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry lies an ecosystem built on a holistic approach to transforming lives and livelihoods. Founder Pamela Chng reflects on the journey that shaped it—one cup at a time
The scent hits you first—rich and grounding, like the warm embrace of freshly brewed coffee. Inside, the space is simple and unassuming. No neon signs, no overthought playlists. Just the gentle murmur of conversation, the steady hiss of the espresso machine and the quiet comfort of a place made for slowing down.
This is speciality coffee brand Bettr Coffee’s first sit‑down space, Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry, the latest chapter in Pamela Chng’s quietly radical journey in social entrepreneurship. Located within The Foundry, a social impact hub on Prinsep Link, it is a café, but also something more: a refuge, a training ground and a belief that in the right hands, coffee can do far more than just fill a cup. Chng has built her life around this approach to coffee for nearly 15 years. After experiencing burnout at a web consultancy she co‑founded in 2002, she took time to reflect and realised that she wanted to create something that would be, as she puts it, “a force for good”—and through her passion for coffee.
Above Chng’s decision to prioritise purpose over profit led to the founding of social enterprise the Bettr Group
Chng’s decision to prioritise purpose over profit led to the founding of social enterprise the Bettr Group
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“Coffee presented the perfect vehicle for this vision—connecting people globally with opportunities to create positive change at every step of the value chain,” Chng explains. Her decision to prioritise purpose over profit led to the founding of social enterprise the Bettr Group, along with its retail and roastery arm Bettr Coffee and its training arm Bettr Academy, in 2011, built on the simple belief that coffee can change lives. At the time, the speciality coffee industry in Singapore was in its early stages, giving Chng what she calls “an opportunity to address inequality and systemic issues at multiple levels”—from supporting farmers to providing employment for vulnerable groups.
Chng’s passion for coffee also led her to volunteer on the board of directors of the global coffee trade association Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) for some six years. During this time, she gained a better understanding of the inner workings of the global coffee industry and its challenges, which she shares gave her valuable insight into “making coffee better as an industry”.
With the Bettr Group, Chng has developed an entirely new business model that integrates social impact at every level. More than just another speciality coffee brand, Bettr Coffee, which brings the Group’s mission to a wider audience through its retail and wholesale coffee offerings, is dedicated to ethical sourcing, working with farmers and growers across Asia and Latin America who share its commitment to fair trade, transparency and climate‑resilient practices. “This approach,” Chng says, “ensures that every cup served supports not only the consumer’s enjoyment, but also the livelihood of those who grow and harvest the beans.”
Above Bettr Coffee’s founder Pamela Chng
Bettr Coffee’s founder Pamela Chng
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Bettr Coffee even shares information about the source of its beans on its online retail shop. Its Eureka blend, for example, combines naturally processed coffee from Brazil and Ethiopia, respectively sourced through North American speciality coffee supplier Covoya Coffee’s Café Delas programme and Bettr Coffee’s direct trade partner Lulo Coffee. The former empowers women in coffee farming communities while the latter, a vertically integrated Ethiopian coffee producer, works closely with farmers, creating a direct link between farmers and roasters. Bettr Coffee offers coffee gear and equipment as well, to help brew the perfect cup at home.
Meanwhile, the Bettr Academy, a SCA Premier Training Campus, provides professional beverage education. Alongside a wide range of courses and workshops for those looking to upskill or simply further a personal interest are initiatives that include social programmes for youths as well as work‑and‑train ones for marginalised individuals.
The comprehensive Holistic Training Programme (HTP), for instance, combines rigorous barista and customer service training with emotional intelligence, physical wellness and life skills development, equipping marginalised individuals with the skills needed to become self‑sufficient. Open to those aged 15 to 60, it sees participants train, over the course of six months, to become certified baristas through the SCA curriculum—learning everything from crafting and promoting speciality coffee experiences to understanding the journey of developing and producing roasted coffee. Beyond traditional metrics, the Academy tracks qualitative changes in the participants’ lives, such as increased self‑confidence, improved self‑esteem and the positive impact on their families.
Read more: What defines a good cup of coffee, according to coffee experts
Above Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry’s spaces were designed with community in mind
Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry’s spaces were designed with community in mind
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While there are many success stories, it is Yati’s that Chng fondly shares. She recalls that though the single mum, who enrolled in the HTP in 2023, was eager to become a barista, she initially lacked the confidence. Midway through training, she faced a setback: her sister passed away, and she began travelling between Singapore and Batam to care for her elderly mother. With support from her counsellor and the team, Yati not only completed the programme, but also rebuilt her self‑confidence. Today, she works at Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry. Chng reflects: “Her transformation from survival mode to finding purpose [shows] how our holistic approach changes lives.”
After years of focusing on business‑to‑business outlets, the roasting facility and Bettr Academy, opening a sit‑down café was to Chng a natural next step. “We recognised that having a dedicated consumer‑facing space would allow us to directly connect with the community and showcase our philosophy in a more tangible way,” she explains.
Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry represents the culmination of the Group’s work so far; an embodiment of its values and an invitation for the public to experience social impact not as charity, but as a way of life.
Above Exterior of Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry
Exterior of Bettr Coffee @ The Foundry
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Intentionally designed to foster community, the pet‑friendly space offers a warm, welcoming environment with both indoor and outdoor seating. Thoughtful touches throughout encourage connection and conversation, inviting guests to slow down and savour each cup with intention. Meanwhile, a herb garden reflects the brand’s commitment to fresh, traceable ingredients.
The menu features familiar favourites such as oat milk lattes alongside more experimental offerings such as Prefer, Bettr Coffee’s own bean‑free, decaffeinated coffee made from upcycled bread, soya bean pulp and spent barley grains. Bold, nutty and entirely local, it reimagines what decaf coffee can taste like. Beyond the café offerings, there is a selection of craft cocktails and natural wines. The Bettr Old Fashioned, for example, features whisky fat‑washed with brown butter and spent coffee grounds. For food, expect a range of pastries and savoury dishes, including grilled chicken sarnies with house‑made pesto and Gouda.
Above The menu features familiar favourites alongside more experimental offerings
The menu features familiar favourites alongside more experimental offerings
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For Chng, one of the biggest challenges of running a social enterprise is, as she puts it, “simultaneously [achieving] social impact while generating enough revenue to sustain operations”. While the journey thus far has not always been easy or smooth, Chng finds her work deeply rewarding and remains hopeful about the future. “[It’s important to] never lose sight of our core purpose,” she reflects. “Many of [those we’re supporting] find themselves in circumstances [beyond their control] … they’ve had to be incredibly resilient, and we’ve seen just how strong the human spirit can be.”
So what comes next? Hinting at expanding beyond Singapore into Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Chng says: “[We’re working to] create a dual impact by supporting vulnerable communities while strengthening relationships with coffee‑growing regions.”
Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
