Mr Bean (company)

Mr Bean Group Limited is a listed retailer based in Singapore. It sells soya bean-based food and drink products. It was founded in 1995. It currently operates a chain of retail outlets through its managing company, Super Bean International, selling a wide range of food and beverages (which all contain traces of soya bean). The group currently operates a total of 65 retail stores (63 island wide in Singapore, and 2 in Japan).^[1][2][3]

History

Mr Bean was founded in 1995 by Kang Puay Seng, who is now the managing director of Super Bean International, and Loh Jwee Poh, executive director of Super Bean and Kang's best friend.^[4][5][6] The first Mr Bean stall was located at People's Park Hawker Centre. While visiting an exhibition in the city, the founders discovered a machine that could make soya milk quickly and efficiently.^[7][8] Deeming this as a great business opportunity, they established small kiosks in accessible areas at shopping malls, hospitals, schools and MRT stations.^[7] Subsequently, two more stalls were opened, one in Ang Mo Kio and another in Marine Parade. The introduction of a compact soya milk brewing machine then allowed the company to offer fresh soya milk throughout the day.^[9][10] Previously, hawkers selling soya drinks in Singapore bought their soya milk directly from factories in the morning, but the drinks would have turned sour by the afternoon.^[9] Mr Bean was the first in the business to offer fresh & high quality soya milk and beancurd throughout the day.^[11] When the business first started, the founders went around the Chinatown Housing Development Board estate to distribute coupons in an effort to promote their soya milk, even after closing their stall at 10pm.^[9] They eventually opened their second outlet at a Marine Parade hawker centre in 1996.^[9] Mr Bean's big break was marked by its first shopping mall outlet in Hougang Mall in 1998. Mr Bean was able to secure a space in the mall as the Asian financial crisis in 1997 caused many mall tenants to close down.^[9][11] Mr Bean was the first soya milk company to launch an outlet at the airport, when their first outlet opened at Changi Airport Terminal 1 in 2004.^[11] Today, Mr Bean has more than 50 local outlets and 5 overseas outlets in Japan, the Philippines, China. It also plans to expand to the United States in the next few years.^[12]

Vision and Mission

The company’s vision is to inspire and touch lives with “Life’s Simple Pleasures”. They aim to reconnect their stakeholders with “Life’s Simple Pleasures” through a fulfilling and inviting food & beverage experience.^[13][14][15]

Branding

The company’s name, Mr Bean, originated when both founders wanted to differentiate their stall from their competitors. As the founders were selling soya bean drinks and both of them were men, they decided to call their company Mr Bean.^[16] When Mr Bean was launched in 1995, their original logo had an ‘oriental’ look.^[17] According to Mr Kang, Mr Bean revamped their branding in 2005 to make their brand“a truly Singaporean Mr Bean, rather than a Chinese-Singaporean Mr Bean.” The new logo had a new mascot and slogan, “Life’s Simple Pleasures”.^[18] In 2008, Mr Kang elaborated on their branding: “Mr Bean’s brand promise is: Life’s simple pleasures. We bring our customers a variety of healthy and refreshing food and beverage products. We want them to enjoy life’s simple pleasures through our products which are modestly priced and within everyone’ reach.”^[19]

Products

As of 2008, Mr Bean offered at least 28 products.^[20] Its soya drinks range from plain soya milk to variations of soya milk that include chendol soya milk, fruity soya milk and icy mocha soya milk.^[21] Mr Bean also produces a wide range of products that use soya beans, such as various flavours of soya milk, biscuits, pancakes and ice cream.^[21] The company also diversified to sell Mr Bean merchandise that appealed to the younger consumers. Some of their merchandise includes towels, plush toys, bookmarks and bags.^[17][22] Mr Bean sought to continually improve the quality of their products and invent new products. To do that, they invested in R&D to brainstorm and develop new product ideas, and also organised sample-testing sessions.^[17][23]

Quality Bean

Mr Bean’s soya beans are identity preserved, which is a process that ensures that the beans keep their distinct characteristics such as protein and moisture levels. The soya beans are sowed in April and harvested around September at moisture levels of 12 to 13%. They are first thoroughly checked for their protein and moisture levels, and for any foreign materials or dirt staining on the beans. Subsequently, they are then tested to certify that the beans are not genetically modified. Thereafter, only beans of a specific weight, shape, size and colour are selected and shipped to Singapore. The beans further undergo a 5-hour process of soaking, grinding, and brewing before they are finally made into Mr Bean products.^[24]

Awards

Mr Bean has achieved the following awards over the years:

Philanthropy

Pathlight School

Mr Bean has been sponsoring food and beverages to the autistic students of Pathlight School since 2007. The company also raised funds for the school by selling Pathlight School merchandise.^[31] As part of Pathlight School’s Worksite & Job Coaching Programme, Mr Bean also set up two training kiosks at Pathlight School and its sister school, Eden School Singapore. The students at the two academies were taught how to use equipment from Mr Bean and how to serve customers.^[32]

Operation Smile

In a collaboration with Operation Smile Cambodia, Mr Bean funded part of the journey to Kampong Cham, Cambodia, where doctors provided free surgery for children with facial deformities like cleft lips, cleft palates and facial tumours.^[33][34]

Outlets

Singapore

As of March 2012, Mr Bean has total of 63 listed outlets in the island of Singapore, some outlets located on Singapore MRT stations.^[35][36]

Japan

In January, 2010, in a partnership with Tokyu Gourmet Front, Super Bean International opened a Mr Bean outlet in Shibuya, Japan, at the Shibuya Train Station.^{[37][38][39][40]}

Coming soon

In March, 2012, the Mr Bean group announced that it will open 12 stores across the region by the end of the year to add to its five outlets in Tokyo, Seoul, Malaysia and Shanghai.^[41][42]

With the regional expansion underway, Mr Bean hopes to double the number of overseas stores to 34 by 2013 and eventually expand to other markets such as the United States of America.^[43]

References

External links

• Official website