Ben Yeo’s Posh Kopitiam Toilets Awarded 5-Star Rating By Restroom Association, 1st Coffeeshop To Win Accolade
It’s official: the ‘glam’ restrooms at Tan Xiang Chai Chee, a retro wet market-themed kopitiam run by Mediacorp actor-host Ben Yeo and his partners, are the best coffeeshop toilets in Singapore.
The four restrooms — two for gents and two for ladies — which cost $80K to renovate, were awarded a five-star rating from the Restroom Association (Singapore) (RAS) on September 17.
Under the Happy Toilet Programme, the RAS has been grading public toilets for cleanliness, maintenance of their facilities, and provision of amenities like toilet paper and hand soap. Restrooms receive a rating of between three and six stars, in different categories such as malls, MRT stations, and hawker centres.
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These are the first 5-star coffeeshop toilets
Air-conditioned and fitted with Dyson hand dryers, the sleek loos are the first to receive five stars in the coffeeshop category. The toilets are cleaned every hour and are a stark contrast to the filthy, smelly and wet toilets commonly found in kopitiams.
There are two themes for the restrooms. The gents and ladies on one side of the coffeeshop have a zen resort theme, with textured stone walls and sinks, and classical music streaming through the speakers.
According to RAS, coffeeshops have never been a part of the exercise as “we did not have great public toilets until we came across the coffeeshop at Chai Chee run by Ben and his partners”.
The association was not only impressed by how they “transformed the toilets into something extraordinary”, but also adopted sustainable and smart solutions “to make the toilets as good as those you would see in five-star hotels”.
Ben, who also runs popular zi char concept Charcoal Fish Head Steamboat Restaurant with his partners at the industrial park coffeeshop, was thrilled by the accolade, quipping: “We can’t get the Michelin Bib Gourmand award, but at least we got five stars for our toilets.”
Jokes aside, Ben said the $80K they splurged to renovate the restrooms was “well-spent”.
“It brought us all this publicity which was very unexpected. We were truly just thinking of upgrading the toilets. The whole idea came about because we didn’t have the budget to air condition the entire coffeeshop, so we decided to just do the toilets,” he tells 8days.sg.
Some customers come here to eat ’cos they want to check out the toilets
Since 8days.sg featured Tan Xiang Chai Chee when it opened on April 27 this year, its swanky toilets have become an unlikely attraction, with customers revelling in the luxe, relaxing atmosphere. All this has boosted business for the coffeeshop.
“There are customers who come here to eat because they want to check out the toilets,” says Ben.
“Singapore's coffeeshops don’t have the best reputation for cleanliness, and most would hesitate to use it unless absolutely necessary. So, to customers, this is a bonus, and they can enjoy their meal with no stress at all.”
“A customer told me that when she feels hot, she will go inside the toilet for one minute to cool down and freshen up,” he laughs.
Next up: smart toilets
Ben hopes to keep up the standard of their loos, so they can “get awarded five stars every year or even six stars”.
In 2018, six toilets at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands were awarded a six-star rating, the first restrooms in Singapore to achieve that accolade.
In the pipeline are plans to upgrade some of the toilets to smart toilets, which cost “around $2.5K”.
“Local brand Besco will be sponsoring smart toilets with bidet features. We believe ours will be the first public restrooms, apart from hotels, to have smart toilets,” says Ben.
Tan Xiang Chai Chee is at 510 Chai Chee Lane, S469027. Open daily from 6am - 10pm. More info on Instagram.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
Photos: Tan Xiang Chai Chee, 8days.sg
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