Plain Vanilla aims to be known not just for cupcakes, but as a lifestyle brand

[SINGAPORE] When Vanessa Kenchington took a sabbatical from law to open cupcake shop Plain Vanilla in 2011, she started with a cautious business model: just a 150 square foot space in Holland Village, no hires and an initial investment of S$35,000. (* see amendment note below) 

From the start, her goal was not to run a “trend-driven bakery” but to build a lasting lifestyle brand – and success has since meant that she never returned to the legal sector.

Within two years, the original space was too small to meet demand. In 2013, she opened an outlet in Tiong Bahru that was 10 times the size of the first, and offered coffee too – an addition that has since become a key part of the brand’s offerings.