Tok Tok, Rumours Beach Club: The entrepreneur bringing Indonesian flavours to Singapore’s dining scene

SIZE DOESN’T MATTER

Having just emerged from the throes of the pandemic, Soetantyo shared that the company is taking the time to take stock of where they’re at. “When I first moved here in 2016, we grew quite fast. We were quite ambitious in terms of expanding the group. But COVID taught us to slow down and really make sure our concept, business plan and everything is on point.”

Instead of aggressively starting new brands, the focus for now is to look at perfecting and building upon its existing concepts. “There are a lot of opportunities within our current brands. There are a few possibilities,” Soetantyo said.

For one, the team is currently in the midst of expanding Baristart around Asia. A Baristart coffee roastery is also scheduled to open in Singapore in 2023. Soetantyo is also mulling the idea of opening a “different kind” of Rumours club, this time on the main island. Meanwhile, the existing Rumours Beach Club in Sentosa is undergoing renovation, scheduled to complete in end September 2022. 

Upcoming plans will depend on the pandemic situation, Soetantyo shared. “We’re currently in a new normal, with restrictions just relaxed and borders now open. We’re looking at what’s going to happen in the next six, eight months to a year. If the situation is okay, we’ll start rolling our plans.”

When asked about the overall vision of the company, Soetantyo had this to say: “I don’t want to be cliched, but as with many F&B operators here in Singapore, the goal is to be one of the best. Not necessarily in size, but in terms of concepts. It doesn’t really matter if we have 50 restaurants or five – as long as they are really unique, people want to try them, and they keep coming back.”