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Chapter 3

Behind Every Cup

At the beginning, our spaces were simple and humble. They were shaped by a singular focus: to serve quality coffee, and to honour the connection between barista and customer. That philosophy continues to guide how we design today.

Across our stores, there are familiar corners you’ll always recognise. A simple palette of black and white on our letterboard menu, an open counter where nothing sits between you and the barista, machines positioned with intention, never obstructing the line of sight. These are a culmination of the confidence we hold in our brew and belief that coffee should be visible, shared, and understood.

Stainless steel runs through all our spaces. It’s a practical choice, but also a standard we hold ourselves to. It’s easy to maintain, honest in how it wears, and keeps us disciplined about cleanliness and care. Lighting is treated with the same intention. Bright enough to work with precision, open enough to make the space feel clear, and always focused on the people behind the counter.

Even with these constants, no two stores are the same. Every new space starts with its surroundings. We want our stores to feel familiar, but never imposing. That means taking time to understand the neighbourhood, the street it sits on, and the pace of life around it before making design decisions. From there, materials, layout, and proportions shift to suit what feels right for that place. The aim isn’t to stand out but to belong.

At its core, our approach to store design is straightforward. Spaces should feel welcoming and easy to step into. They should be considered in how they fit their environment, and familiar in a way that feels natural rather than repeated. What stays consistent gives our spaces a clear identity. What changes allows them to feel grounded where they are. Together, they create stores that are recognisable when you walk in, but still shaped by the place they’re part of.

As we continue to grow, consistency alone isn’t the goal. Every new store is measured by its ability to serve: in how the counter works, how people move through the space, and how naturally it supports daily service. Growth only makes sense if each space functions with the same care as the first.

the people behind alchemist

Regina Chua

Head of Operations

Alistair Seetho

Head of Learning & Development
Singapore National Brewer's Cup Champion

Kana Sugiyama

Manager, Japan

Peggy Lin

Manager, Taiwan

Wilson Khor

Operations Manager

Regina Chua
Alistair Seetho
Kana Sugiyama
Peggy Lin
Wilson Khor
Regina Chua

Staff Bio

Fresh out of school, I worked as a full-time waitress at an Australian cafe where coffee was simple and uniform. Anyone could step behind the bar. It was there, by chance, that my interest in coffee began. First through latte art and the act of making rather than understanding flavour. When I joined Alchemist in 2017, that perspective shifted.

What I had known before felt basic. Here, every detail mattered, from calibration to extraction, from flavour profiling to process. My palate was still developing then, and I struggled to keep up with the range of flavours, but the exposure reshaped how I saw coffee. It became something I wanted to take seriously.

I joined as a Junior Barista when the team was still very small, there was only two of us at our Hong Leong Building store. As Alchemist grew, with the third store and roastery at Khong Guan Building, so did my role. I moved between stores, learning alongside the team as we expanded.

After COVID, I stepped into the role of General Manager. It wasn’t something I had planned for, but I took it on as a way to grow. The shift was significant. I went from focusing on the bar to managing people, schedules, and team dynamics. Pairing teams, resolving conflicts, and translating direction from management to the floor required a different kind of thinking, less visible but much more complex.

In 2023, I entered the Singapore National Barista Championship to challenge myself. The preparation involved long nights of practice after work, and the presentation required precision, consistency, and control under pressure. It became another step in my learning.

Over time, my growing experience led me into becoming Head of Operations. As a result, being closer to backend processes helped me understand how everything connects, from daily operations on the ground to the wider systems and teams supporting them behind the scenes.

Looking back, going from Junior Barista to General Manager, entering competitions, and now becoming Head of Operations, these were experience I never expected myself to grow into. Now, what matters most to me is continuing to learn, support the team, and create an environment where baristas can grow from within, just as I did.

Alistair Seetho

Staff Bio

I’ve been in coffee for over twelve years, though I didn’t enter the industry out of passion at first. While working at a cafe serving specialty coffee, a manpower shortage pushed me behind the bar. I learnt the basics simply to keep things moving.

Later, I moved to another cafe where stronger mentorship began shaping my interest in coffee more seriously. That was also where I first met the team behind Alchemist. At the time, I was still studying hospitality and hadn’t fully decided where I wanted to go within the industry. Around me, third-wave coffee culture was beginning to grow, and it felt different from traditional hospitality: more relaxed, more human, and more accessible. That shift convinced me to commit fully.

After graduating, I joined a cafe I had come to know during my student years. What began as casual conversations with baristas turned into a part-time role, then eventually a full-time position as the company expanded. Over the years, I grew into management, while my paths continued crossing naturally with the team behind Alchemist, who were working nearby at the time.

Wanting to challenge myself further, I entered the competitive barista circuit. Over several years, I competed nationally, eventually earning the opportunity to represent Singapore at the World Coffee Championships. The process demanded discipline and sacrifice, but more importantly, it taught me patience, time management, and how to work with my own expectations.

After years in the role, burnout eventually set in. I took time away in Melbourne, where I immersed myself in a different coffee culture. I revisited fundamentals, experienced hospitality from a broader perspective, and travelled across Australia observing how coffee lived within different cities and communities.

When I felt ready to grow again, a casual catch-up became an opportunity to join Alchemist.

Since then, my role has gradually evolved from operations into education. I helped build Alchemist’s barista training framework, which now supports the growth of both new and existing baristas across the company, while also developing training programmes for overseas teams during Alchemist’s international expansion.

Coffee education has become the constant in my journey. For me, sharing knowledge is both a responsibility and a way of giving back. It’s where my experience finds purpose, and where coffee continues to feel most meaningful.

Kana Sugiyama

Staff Bio

I’ve been around coffee for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my mother would brew coffee in the mornings, and I still remember the aroma filling the house, the calmness of those early hours, and the comforting warmth of the cup itself. Looking back, coffee always felt like a familiar part of my everyday life.

When I was nineteen, an opportunity led me into coffee more seriously. What first drew me in was not only the drink itself, but also the people around it. I was fascinated by the way coffee could create moments of connection and comfort. That curiosity gradually deepened, eventually leading me to Alchemist.

What stood out most when I joined was Alchemist’s straightforward philosophy. Every café pursues good coffee in its own way, but Alchemist approached it in a way that felt simple, honest, and approachable. The focus was not only on quality, but on creating coffee that anyone could genuinely enjoy. It was a perspective that resonated with me immediately.

One of my biggest challenges in the beginning was espresso calibration. Because espresso carries such intensity, it took time to understand balance, what sweetness meant, which flavours belonged to the coffee itself, and how extraction shaped the cup. Through daily repetition, calibration slowly became instinctive. More importantly, it taught me that coffee is never fixed. There is no single correct answer. What matters is understanding how to make coffee taste its best in that particular moment.

When I joined Alchemist, the Singapore team was already energetic, open-minded, and constantly moving forward. Being surrounded by that environment shaped not only how I thought about coffee, but also how I thought about leadership and teamwork. It inspired me to bring that same positive energy back to Japan and help build a similar culture there.

Over time, my role evolved far beyond simply being a barista. As Alchemist expanded internationally, I gradually took on greater responsibility in helping establish and grow the brand in Japan. Today, I spend a lot of time thinking about how Alchemist’s philosophy can naturally take root within a different culture while remaining true to its original values.

Through my years at Alchemist, I feel my own philosophy has become clearer. At its heart is a simple hope: to share good coffee with people in a sincere and positive way. Even during busy days, if a single cup can help someone feel a little calmer or more comforted, then I feel I’ve done something meaningful. That is what continues to motivate me every day.

Peggy Lin

Staff Bio

I was initially drawn to pastry making and the serene atmosphere of cafes. However, once I stepped behind the bar, I found myself captivated by the craft of coffee. My journey with Alchemist began when our Director of Coffee, Wei Kiat, used to work in the office above the cafe where I worked at the time. Over time, that connection eventually led me to join the team.

What resonated with me most when I first started was Alchemist's minimalist and focused culture. Unlike traditional cafes, we eliminate complex food menus to pour all our energy into the coffee itself. There was something special about that purity of purpose. Existing solely for a great cup of coffee was what I enjoyed most from the beginning.

There wasn't much of a struggle when I joined, only a shift in rhythm. In a high-volume takeaway setting, the challenge is maintaining uncompromising quality at speed. Learning to work within that environment sharpened my calibration skills and taught me the value of focus, consistency, and attention to detail.

Early on, I thought coffee was simply about brewing a good cup. Over time, I realised how much more goes into it. Origin, processing methods, and roasting profiles all influence the final result. The more I learned, the more I began to appreciate the diversity of coffee and approach different varieties with a more open and curious mindset.

The team played a huge role in that growth. It's a fun environment, but one that also holds itself to a high standard. Everyone is passionate about what they do, and there's a strong culture of sharing knowledge and providing honest feedback. Having people around me who were willing to challenge and support me helped me learn quickly.

As the years passed, my role evolved from mastering the fundamentals to leading and training newcomers. Each stage brought a different set of challenges and responsibilities, and with them came the realisation that my potential extended far beyond what I had initially imagined.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is to think from a team perspective rather than focusing only on my own station. Taking on greater responsibility made me more meticulous because every detail affects the people around you and the overall experience we create together. Along the way, I've discovered that helping others grow is also a way of growing myself.

This journey has shown me that I'm more resilient than I once thought. There have been moments of doubt, but pushing through them has always been worthwhile. More than anything, I've come to realise that I don't just love coffee itself. I love the human connection that a single cup can create.

Looking ahead, I hope to continue passing on the culture that has shaped me at Alchemist and share the knowledge I've gained with the next generation of baristas.

Wilson Khor

Staff Bio

Ten years ago, in my hometown in Malaysia, specialty coffee was still growing, and what first drew me in was latte art. I was fascinated by how a simple cup of coffee could feel transformed through care, precision, and detail. There was something captivating about the way a beautiful pour could elevate an everyday drink, and that curiosity slowly became the beginning of my coffee journey.

After a few years working in Singapore, I eventually discovered Alchemist through visits to The Mill and Khong Guan. The spaces immediately stood apart from anything I had experienced before. The layouts, the atmosphere, and the openness of the cafés felt completely different, but what stayed with me most was the people behind the bar. The way the baristas approached their craft, and the care they showed every guest, made me want to become part of the team.

When I first joined Alchemist, I quickly realised how much attention was given to the unseen details behind every cup. Coffee here was never only about the final drink. There was constant care happening behind the scenes: small refinements, adjustments, and an obsessive focus on consistency throughout the day. Earlier in my career, most of my struggles were technical. I spent a lot of time learning milk texture, refining latte art, and building consistency in my pours. But at Alchemist, the challenge became more mental than technical. I had to train myself to notice and care about the smallest details, even the ones most people would never see.

Over time, my understanding of coffee also changed. I realised that calibration becomes much simpler once you truly understand the profile you are trying to achieve. More importantly, I came to believe that coffee should never feel exclusive or intimidating. Coffee is part of everyday life, and our role is to make high-level craft approachable and enjoyable for everyone who walks through the door.

The team culture shaped me deeply as well. Everyone was incredibly serious about quality, but there was still warmth, humour, and energy behind the bar. It taught me that you can pursue high standards without losing the joy in what you do.

As my role evolved, my focus gradually shifted from making coffee to supporting the people around me. Today, I spend less time thinking about individual output and more time helping the team grow together. I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the unseen effort required to keep a bar running well every day, and this journey has taught me that challenges are not obstacles, but opportunities to improve.

As Alchemist moves into its next decade, I hope to continue refining our standards while helping build a team that feels genuinely connected, not just through coffee, but through the sense of community we create together every day.

Next Chapter

Familiar Corners

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