An Interview with the Magician Owners of C Cafe, Ashley Cho and Nicholas Wong
Those familiar with the Joo Chiat and Katong area of Singapore will know that the neighbourhood is chockfull of cafes, and the newest entry in the area is the brunching spot called C Cafe. This interesting magic-themed cafe sits right next to Homeground Coffee Roasters, and across the road from Sinpopo Brand Cafe.
Centred around a magic and playing cards theme, C Cafe was founded by Ashley Cho and Nicholas Wong, who both started in different professions before finding a passion in magic and food.
And thus, C Cafe was born.
Read: A Full Review of Brunch at C Cafe
I managed to catch the co-founder Nicholas in action in the cafe, as he performed a card trick for us right at our table.
In an interview with Ashley and Nicholas, these enterprising magician-turned cafe owners speak about the origins of C Cafe, as well as future plans moving forward.
Photo courtesy of C Cafe.
What made you both decide to open a café together?
Both of us enjoy good food, coffee and have a strong passion for magic, so we thought why not combine them together. To us, it is important to be happy doing the things you love while making a living out of it.
Did any of you come from a service or F&B background?
Nope! Ashley was a doctor who found his passion laid elsewhere (in food and magic) and Nicholas was an aspiring vet turned banker; who seeks greater aspirations to connect with people through magic.
How were the menu offerings developed for C Cafe?
The basis of everything is that we would not serve people anything we wouldn’t eat. We went through months of menu development and R&D to get to where we are today.
How do you both split the days working at the café and days where you might have freelance magic gigs?
Currently, our main focus is on the café so we do not do freelance magic gigs as often as we used to. With ad-hoc magic gigs, it is often difficult to establish a connection with the audience. By bringing magic to the café, we hope to establish a long term relationship with our customers.
At C Cafe, there’s a real sense of personal service which is not common in many cafés in Singapore. Is that something that was consciously decided upon?
Yes – we feel that getting to know our customers is very important to us. Everyone has a story to tell, and we want C Cafe to be a place for customers to connect over a hearty meal, a cup of good coffee and occasionally experience some magic.
Where did the idea of doing magic for your customers in the café come from? Is this something you guys plan to continue doing even when the café is more established in the future or when you start having more repeat customers?
We both love the art of magic – we have been practicing and performing magic as a hobby for more than 15 years now.
To us, we feel that magic is not usually showcased in casual settings. Magicians either busk out in the streets or are showcased in big production performances. It is uncommon to see magic up close and personal.
We believe that performing magic like this in our café helps to bring people together and build connections.
What are some challenges that you have have faced so far?
The need for constant innovation to keep up with the rising expectations and demands of the F&B industry.
What do you both make of the café scene in Singapore?
Every café is unique in its own way. At C Cafe, we insist on enhancing the entire customer experience.
Was there a reason C Cafe was set up in Katong? Were any other locations or spaces considered?
It is not uncommon to hear, “East side, best side,” and with good reason because there are indeed many food choices available in the East. That aside, Ashley grew up in the East – so opening up here in Joo Chiat was a no brainer for us.
What are the future plans for C Cafe? Will we likely see menu developments in the future or even a second outlet?
We are looking to introduce new food and drinks options, and maybe changing our offerings to suit a night crowd too.
