Village Connect
Blue Bottle Coffee is set to make its Southeast Asian debut with the opening of its first café at LUMINE SINGAPORE in Raffles City in early 2025. This marks a significant milestone in the brand’s global expansion, bringing its signature specialty coffee experience to Singapore’s thriving café culture. From its humble beginnings as a small coffee cart in Oakland, California, to becoming a globally recognized name, Blue Bottle Coffee continues to redefine coffee craftsmanship, hospitality, and community.
Following the success of its retail store and exhibition launch at LUMINE SINGAPORE in August 2024, the new café will offer the full Blue Bottle experience. Guests can expect expertly brewed coffee, a carefully curated espresso menu, and a thoughtfully designed space that reflects the brand’s meticulous approach to coffee making. Each cup will be prepared with precision to highlight the delicate flavors of Blue Bottle’s single-origin beans, reinforcing the brand’s reputation for quality and craftsmanship.
The opening of Blue Bottle Coffee’s first Singapore café is a testament to its ongoing global growth. Since its founding in 2002 by James Freeman, the brand has expanded across the United States, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and China, with each market strengthening its commitment to small-batch roasting, direct farmer relationships, and precision brewing. With the support of Nestlé since 2017, Blue Bottle continues to uphold its artisanal roots while reaching new audiences worldwide.
“Our first café in Southeast Asia is an incredibly exciting step, and we’re thrilled to launch in Singapore with LUMINE,” said Kester Whitaker, Chief Growth Officer & Head of Asia at Blue Bottle Coffee. “Our partnership with LUMINE has deep roots in Japan, and nearly a decade after expanding there, we are now bringing the full Blue Bottle experience to Singapore—a city known for its rich café culture, deep appreciation for craftsmanship, and role as a gateway to Southeast Asia’s specialty coffee scene.”
The collaboration between Blue Bottle Coffee and LUMINE is built on a long-standing relationship that began in Japan. Several Blue Bottle cafés are located within LUMINE shopping centers, and the partnership continues to evolve, with the brand set to open a new location at LUMINE’s upcoming NEWoMan TAKANAWA shopping destination in Tokyo in March 2025.
“We are delighted to welcome Blue Bottle Coffee’s first Southeast Asian café to LUMINE SINGAPORE,” said Teruyuki Omote, President and CEO of LUMINE Co., Ltd. “
As LUMINE continues its international expansion with a focus on blending Japan’s unique sensibilities with local communities, the arrival of Blue Bottle Coffee in Singapore is expected to enrich the city’s coffee scene. The café will serve as a destination for coffee lovers, offering a space where precision brewing and hospitality meet in a thoughtfully designed environment. With this opening, Blue Bottle Coffee and LUMINE further strengthen their shared mission of bringing exceptional coffee experiences to new markets.
