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From a cafe in Telok Ayer to 12 F&B outlets in Bangkok, Sarnies banks on Thailand for growth

The group’s strategy involves leasing entire multi-storey shophouses to house a variety of concepts under one roof

Paige Lim
Published Wed, Jul 15, 2026 · 11:00 AM
    • Co-founders Eric Chan (left) and Benjamin Lee made a strategic decision to focus on Sarnies' expansion into Thailand, which now accounts for 80% of the group's total revenue.
    • Co-founders Eric Chan (left) and Benjamin Lee made a strategic decision to focus on Sarnies' expansion into Thailand, which now accounts for 80% of the group's total revenue. PHOTO: TAY CHU YI, BT

    [SINGAPORE] Amid an increasingly challenging food and beverage landscape, home-grown cafe operator Sarnies has continued to expand – not at home, but in Thailand, where it has 12 outlets in Bangkok spanning multiple concepts.

    Co-founded by Benjamin Lee and Eric Chan, Sarnies began as a single cafe on Telok Ayer Street in 2011. An early entrant into Singapore’s fledgling cafe scene, it quickly gained a following for its Australian-style brunch offerings and speciality coffee.

    From the outset, however, the duo was intent on building something bigger.

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