[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/","headline":"On carrying on: KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar","name":"On carrying on: KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar","description":"With a fall of 24.7 per cent in sales of F&B services on a year-on-year basis, Singapore\u2019s saturated F&B industry is a tough sector to survive, let alone attain success. High rentals, intense competition, manpower costs and keeping customers walking through the door are factors that have ended many a restauranteur\u2019s dreams. Add to the […]","datePublished":"2021-03-23","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Maisie%20Leong\/#Person","name":"Maisie Leong","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Maisie%20Leong\/","identifier":227,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f5c852853ba8ed19bedc5417be7db8166064cfcb8857f5ec40bb516fab94b2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f5c852853ba8ed19bedc5417be7db8166064cfcb8857f5ec40bb516fab94b2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1616484573488_Entrepreneurship_KARA_Cafe_Featured_Pic_1280x626.png","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1616484573488_Entrepreneurship_KARA_Cafe_Featured_Pic_1280x626.png","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/","commentCount":"4","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-02 23:59:12","description":"Great job, keep it up!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"tv world live","url":"https:\/\/tac-community.county.org\/links?lid=jCihDuP2gXtQJ91cQ950Ag&token=4F-Z7yfO2pj1WIL7z289oA&url=https:\/\/www.oneotv.com\/"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-04-28 05:21:36","description":"You\u2019ve explained it perfectly.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"vans sneakers women","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/vans-women-shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-25 19:51:15","description":"It was a pleasure reading this.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Women's shoes salomon","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/Salomon-Women-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/#Comment4","dateCreated":"2026-04-23 19:47:35","description":"Impressive clarity and structure.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"running shoes nb","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-tag\/new-balance-men-running-shoes"}}],"about":["Community","Food","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1255,"articleBody":"With a fall of 24.7 per cent in sales of F&B services on a year-on-year basis, Singapore\u2019s saturated F&B industry is a tough sector to survive, let alone attain success. High rentals, intense competition, manpower costs and keeping customers walking through the door are factors that have ended many a restauranteur\u2019s dreams. Add to the list the unexpected ingredient of a pandemic and things have only gotten harder for F&B owners in the past year. But one entrepreneur, at least, has not let these challenges stop her from turning a failing business around. THG sat with Lee Li Ping, the founder of Sogurt and KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar, to find out what kept her going.Nestled along Bukit Timah Road just after Coronation Plaza is KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar, one of several cafes populating the area. Its calm atmosphere belies a rocky past that almost saw its earlier incarnation shut for good.\u00a0Before there was KARA Cafe, there was Sogurt \u2013 one of the pioneers of Singapore\u2019s frozen yogurt, or froyo, movement. The popular homegrown brand was an overnight sensation when it opened its first location in 2010 here. It rapidly branched out to eight outlets at its peak, employing more than 100 iconic \u2018Sogirls\u2019 \u2013 young female staff who manned the counters at Sogurt\u2019s outlets.\u00a0\u00a0The brand was eventually consolidated into the flagship concept KARA Cafe, which serves a variety of brunch staples and Sogurt.\u00a0\u201cSogurt was born out of a love for froyo,\u201d Founder Lee Li Ping quips.\u00a0\u201cI was studying at the University of Southern California, and [the frozen yogurt trend] was at its peak then. I [didn\u2019t] believe it [was] that good. [But] when I tried it I really liked it, and ate it almost every day.\u201d\u00a0The exterior of KARA Cafe on Bukit Timah Road in Singapore. (Photo courtesy of Lee Li Ping)In her final year at university, she embarked on a business plan for a yogurt bar as part of an assignment, researching into the logistical and operational aspects of starting a business and the viability of the market. But what started out as a school project turned into reality.\u201cIt also was because I couldn’t find an alternative when I came back [to Singapore]. I couldn’t find a way to satisfy that craving.\u201d\u00a0Despite its initial success, Sogurt hit tough times in the mid 2010s. Ms Lee cited her inexperience in F&B and running a business as stumbling blocks behind some of her decisions.She recounts, \u201cI didn’t know anything [at the start]… We made a couple of decisions like wrong choice of location, expensive rentals, [and was] struggling with management and operations, because [we didn\u2019t] develop the range of skills, or the team needed to sustain a business.\u201dIn addition, high rental costs due to Sogurt\u2019s quick retail expansion led to a point when Ms Lee realised that the business was \u201cunsustainable\u201d.\u00a0Inside the inviting and warmly lit interior of KARA Cafe. (Photo courtesy of Lee Li Ping)Handling failure\u00a0Her experience with failure came with its fair share of trauma. She notes that it was \u201ceasy\u201d to talk about taking failure in one\u2019s stride, but was difficult to practice it.\u00a0\u201cWhen you really have to take the punches, it affects your identity, self-esteem, confidence and the way you see yourself \u2013 your self image,\u201d Ms Lee explains.\u00a0\u201cIn a society like Singapore that’s not easy, because there’s a lot of shame [and] expectation [of entrepreneurs]. I guess [that\u2019s why] it’s hard to step out and to find people to join entrepreneurship, because there’s just a lot of expectation, be it parental or societal.\u201d\u00a0Her troubles with Sogurt took a toll on her interpersonal relationships, especially with her father, who stepped in to help manage Sogurt as the brand grew.\u00a0\u201cIt started off my project, but I needed help. When your parent is your partner, it\u2019s a different story.\u201dThe challenges she faced with Sogurt were compounded by the strain on her personal relationship with her father, as they lacked the \u201cskills to communicate\u201d.\u201cI think we had a lot to learn. There’s a lot of difference between a father-daughter relationship [and the relationship between] business partners. And of course, a father will always see a kid a certain way,\u201d she notes.\u201cInstead of having a collaborative partnership, it was [filled with] a lot of tension and friction\u2026 To build something with two people that are aligned is already very hard. Doing [things] with someone you know you have friction with is going to be very hard.\u201d Founder of Sogurt and owner of KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar Lee Li Ping seated outside her flagship concept. (Photo courtesy of Lee Li Ping)Pressing onDespite feeling overwhelmed, Ms Lee decided to continue with the business as she was committed to upholding her integrity and reputation.\u00a0\u201cI didn’t feel like I had much of a choice, short of just throwing in the towel and giving up everything\u2026You can’t just walk out on a [lease] contract,\u201d she explains. \u201cOf course, there are places that do that, but you either declare [bankruptcy] or just don’t honour the contract. I knew that whatever it is, you always have to do the right thing.\u201dHer indefatigable persistence and vision for Sogurt kept her going.\u00a0\u201cI still knew that Sogurt was going to be a house brand. I knew that we had something special, and that this was an obstacle, but I had a clear long-term vision [and ideas],\u201d reflects Ms Lee. \u201cI think that helped me through… I hate to admit defeat or give up \u2013 I will put in everything and try everything.\u201d\u00a0Finding purpose with KARA CafeDetermined to be less reliant on the retail market, the 34-year-old entrepreneur decided to embark on a new strategy with Sogurt.Her new concept KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar opened to customers in 2017, catering to a core demographic of families and students. The name Kara means \u2018beloved\u2019 or \u2018loved\u2019, which Ms Lee says returns to the \u201cheart\u201d of what Sogurt was \u2013 \u201clove, joy, friendship\u201d.\u201cI knew I could only do so much to focus on what I know, but there was room for uncertainty. And I was okay with that, [doing] the best of what I know, which is [to] build KARA. To be this place that’s a safe space, [to] bring people together. It’s about community.\u201d\u00a0She also began to explore reviving Sogurt in a different format, to \u201cgo into supermarkets and homes everywhere.\u201d\u00a0Sogurt pints, which are available online and at KARA Cafe. (Photo courtesy of Lee Li Ping)The reconceptualisation of Sogurt from a self-serve bar to ice cream-style pints helped the brand to weather new business restrictions brought on by COVID-19. More people started sending gifts to one another during Singapore\u2019s partial lockdown, or circuit breaker, resulting in Sogurt hitting its \u201chighest sales ever\u201d, with a 130 per cent year-on-year growth.\u201cKARA was such a big blessing to me \u2013 it really gave fresh perspective,\u201d Ms Lee says. \u201cIf you see KARA\u2019s logo, it\u2019s a door with a shadow… meaning \u2018welcome home.\u2019\u201d\u00a0The logo also looks like a butterfly: \u201cThat was very much representative of a new beginning, like metamorphosis. You go through the death of the old to come up with the new.\u201d\u00a0Join the conversations on THG’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"On carrying on: KARA Cafe & Dessert Bar","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/on-carrying-on-kara-cafe-dessert-bar\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]