Nestled cozily along Brighton Crescent, Sun Ray Cafe serves all-day brunch, delectable pastas and a solid cup of Joe. Established in 2010, the small and rustic cafe takes its coffee very seriously. Each cup served to its customers goes through a rigorous process — coffee beans are selected by the owner of the cafe, who travels to coffee farms to handpick them personally.
Take a sip of their iced latte, priced affordably at just $2.50, and your tastebuds will be pampered with a delicious spectrum of flavours.
We catch up with Dave, the owner of Sun Ray.
Early Beginnings
Sun Ray Cafe’s journey began 8 years ago.
The unassuming cafe owner admits that he ” had no direction and little capability back then”. Dave soon realised that in order to be recognised as a proper business rather than a “fly by night cafe”, he had to upgrade himself.
This spurred his decision to travel overseas to learn about coffee and tea. Eventually, he ended up in Barcelona to learn more about coffee, attaining a coffee diploma under the Specialty Coffee Association as well.
“Competency is important,” he concludes, as he recalls how the cafe has come a long way from its rough beginnings.
When I ask Dave how he keeps his regulars coming back, he breaks into a hint of a smile.
“I think our regulars come back because we offer good value. Good coffee, and good value for money.”
However, Dave doesn’t have his head in the clouds.
He keeps it real by adding that it is “tough to keep customers”, explaining that it is crucial to “keep finding value” in one’s offerings. According to Dave, the “cafe-hopping trend is over”, and he cites this as a challenge to attract new customers, and retain old ones.
Going The Extra Mile
Sun Ray is pretty different from other specialty coffee joints— the establishment is pet-friendly, roasts its own coffee beans and bakes their bread in-house.
Dave and his team even travel to coffee farms overseas to handpick their coffee beans personally. Dave explains, “We find it interesting to know who actually plants your coffee and tea.”
“By knowing the farmers and knowing how they cultivate the coffee beans, you will know how to roast them and present them to your customers.”
He insists that going the extra mile (or miles, for that matter) is worth it. In his opinion, one would be “simply configuring a cafe” if they bought beans from anywhere, without taking pride in its origins and ensuring its quality.
“We value originality,” says Dave, as he explains that through Sun Ray Cafe, he hopes to express to fellow coffee lovers what his idea of good coffee is.
Brewing Social Change
Dave also owns Parchmen Academy, located just steps away from Sun Ray Cafe, where he conducts coffee and tea appreciation workshops. The academy also partners with external vendors, offering whiskey, sake and flower arrangement courses as well.
When asked why he was inspired to set up his academy, Dave explains: “Customers are not interested in you telling them not to put sugar in their coffee.
“The best way to create social change; to get people to drink healthier drinks, to opt for more natural flavours and to really appreciate the hard work of coffee farmers is to do it formally, through a school.”
Dave’s coffee workshops operate on a “free tipping” system, or a pay-as-you-wish basis as some would call it. Attendees can expect to try hand-brewing methods, watch the coffee roasting process and even try their hand at latte art.
Interestingly, Parchmen Academy got its name from the word “parchment,” which refers to what is left after one removes the pulp from the coffee bean. Parchmen is also a combination of the words “parched” and “men”, which Dave refers to as “thirsty people in search of good coffee.”
The Brew Of The Day
The specialty coffee joint is currently serving two main house blends, cheekily named the Fair Lady and Horny Boy. Fair Lady features fruity tasting notes and may “taste sour to some”, according to Dave. The refreshing blend comprises of beans from Myanmar and Ethopia.
Horny Boy, on the other hand, has a nuttier taste, and offers a blend of beans from Guatemala and Rwanda. Customers can request for their preferred blend upon purchase at the counter.
If you favour a cleaner and lighter taste, opt for coffee brewed via the Aeropress method, where coffee is steeped for approximately 10-15 seconds, before it is forced through a filter, using a plunger.
Plans For Expansion
Dave hopes to have “a footprint in the CBD”, and is looking towards starting a franchise.
“Our breads are baked in-house, and our coffee is roasted in-house as well. We also buy directly from coffee farmers, which drives down our cost significantly.”
Based on the way Sun Ray operates, he feels that they have “a good formula for a franchise.” If you visit Sun Ray Cafe, you’ll notice that unlike other cafés, they don’t offer the option of flavoured lattes, like Vanilla and Caramel.
Dave is adamant about serving coffee as it is — when asked why he doesn’t serve flavoured coffee, he shakes his head and declares with conviction: “No syrups allowed! We want to respect the farmers, and respect good coffee.”
