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Polar Puffs and Cakes (originally and frequently called Polar Café) is a Singaporean café and bakery franchise that was opened on 30 November 1925 in High Street as a part of Lim Yew Chye & Sons.
| Polar Café | |
| Formerly | Polar Café (legal name) |
| Company type | Franchise |
| Industry | Food and Industry |
| Parent | Lim Yew Chye & Sons (former) |
History
editPolar Puffs and Cakes was originally opened as Polar Café on 30 November 1925[1] as an annexe of Lim Yew Chye & Sons.[2] Located in a single unit shophouse[3] in 50 High Street,[4] Hong Kong immigrant Chan Hinky ran the business from 1926 onwards (although it was briefly under the management of Lunar Café between October and November 1926). It served 'American drinks' and ice-cream as well as picnics and parties with Cold Storage dairy products via arrangements.[4] Before World War 2, Polar Café was popular with the expatriate community as well as wealthy merchants as it was known for its wide array of ice cream choices and chilled refreshment as well as its signature curry puffs. The latter's recipe was made by Chan's wife, Shum Shui Yu, who in turn learnt it from a friend.
When the Japanese occupied Singapore in World War II, it was one of the few businesses that remained in operation. After Chan's death in 1942, his wife entrusted operation the café to her two eldest sons. After the war, Polar's business boomed due to High Street being "fashionable". Customers during that period were regular patrons and shoppers in the area but also lawyers and politicians from the nearby Supreme Court Building and Parliament House as well as students and the youth, who saw the cafe as a trendy spot. Polar Café was closed in January 1986 to make way for the expansion of the Parliament House. It was later revived on December of the same year with a new takeaway outlet, Polar Puffs and Cakes in OUB Centre in Raffles Place. Business continued to boom, with the company having a $1.6 million turnover.
Polar rebranded itself in 2003 and 2009 by expanding their product line and marketing their traditional products. They also expanded their products to cartoon-themed cakes for children and marketed their food to the health-conscious.
Products
editReferences
edit- ^ "Page 6 Advertisements Column 3". The Straits Times (Advertisement). November 30, 1925. p. 6. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "Page 7 Advertisements Column 4".
- ^ "About Us".
- ^ a b "Page 5 Advertisements Column 2".
External links
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