Kopitiam 2.0: Where Tradition Meets Trend

Remember back in the day, passing by old kopitiam where the aroma of kaya toast and kopi o attracting you to come in. With just fans, marble table, yellowish walls, and a good old coffee filter, you proceed to order steamed toasts and soft-boiled eggs too. The waiter get your order and screamed back to the kitchen (KOPI O KAWWW SATUUU!!). This was the time where visiting kopitiam every morning and have a cup of kopi o becoming staples for everyone. And today, such kopitiam still keep to tradition but alot already revamped themselves (especially major cities). Now when you enter, waiter no longer taking orders or screaming back your orders to the kitchen, you scan the QR code stickied on the table for the menus instead. Entire place air-conditioned but your kopi o, still taste the same. Here you are, in the whole new upgraded version of kopitiam where it's tradition meets with new trend.

The Legacy: Kopitiams as Cultural Icons

History lesson! Kopitiam started during the British colonial rule in Malaya, when Chinese immigrants (particularly Hainan) opening small food stalls and cafes to serve simple meals and drinks. These stalls catered mostly to working-class Chinese communities, plantation workers, and dock laborers. The word ko-pi-tiam is the combination of the Malay word "kopi" for coffee and the Hokkien word "tiam" for shop. Often such kopitiams are family-run, a small shop that served cheap meals, friendly chatter or local gossip. Several iconic meals on every kopitiam that you could expect are kaya butter toast, milktea, soft-boiled eggs or Hainanese-style kopi.

During the 1990s, the kopitiams start declining as result of rapid urbanization. Most old kopitiams are replaced with modern restaurants, major franchises or boutique coffee shops. During the 2010s, the kopitiams are revived with new branding, modern looking and of course bringing the viral on social media. Bringing it to what been called "kopitiam 2.0"!

The Revival: Not Just Coffee, But Experience

With social medias, new modernize kopitiams are more easier to get spotted and some are even willing to drive long distance or going through long queue just for the experience. Strong social media presence is what needed by this new wave of modernise kopitiams. Most will include promos, introduction of new menus or announcement of new branches. Even been modernise, some may still able to keep their retro aesthetics :

• Enamel mugs that been used

• Roti bakar served with state of art butter

• Black & white pictures of coffee making or even the very kopitiam during the early years

As one of the clever marketing tactic which is selling nostalgia as an experience

The Psychology: Why This Works

While everything seems new with brighter lights, more choices on menus, air-conditioned and everything seems brand new, there's still nostalgic value bind to it. Standing as a chance to connect and growing appreciation of local identity. The new way where even the older generations be familiar with the new environment but even with new twist, still serving the good old kopi o. Even more when the kopitiam is refurnished from the original side just like Ho Kow Kopitiam where it was at the corner of Jalan Balai Polis since 1956. Every early morning will see alot people lining up at their entrance, waiting to enter.

The Technologies: From Ordering to Outreach

When you enter kopitiam many years ago with the most recently, you'll noticed alot notable different of it. Not just order through QR, some may even able to pre-orders on before enter. They even have "loyalty cards" style on the app form to encourage visitors to come again next time. While marketing through social media become a crucial for new era of kopitiams to get noticed. They posting stories, memes, nostalgia reels or maybe behind-the-scenes of eggtarts (recommend to try Hock Kee Kopitiam eggtarts!) been made. Collaboration with influencers or popular food review pages like KL Foodie also another ways such new kopitiams to get noticed. Main goal is to build following community and virality around it.

The Audiences: Who Are They Marketing To?

Different kopitiams may aimed for different target audiences, whether older or younger, each played their marketing segmentation very well, ensuring it reachees to the right people on the right platforms. Now let's explore some of them which are no strangers for those around Malaysia:

• Heritage or tourist focused: Kopitiam along Petaling Street, usually appeal to tourists who seeking a "cultural experience". The prices on this are way more higher than the usual kopitiams as they know their audiences are there for the "experience"

• Hipster's spots: Well-equipped with all the conveniences, high speed Wi-Fi, comfy seats, and thoroughly modern design. Such spots attracting WFH workers and urban Gen Z. I as author of this article want to recommend a place but didn't know a better one as i am too old for this..

• Chain kopitiams: Those popping up in mostly shopping malls like Oriental Kopi or Nanyang Old Coffee. They have very own branding and operating mostly to cater everyone or mall-goers.

The Future: What Next For Kopitiams?

Such kopitiams have actually crossed borders and outside from Malaysia, repackaged as modern cafes, but still serving butter kaya toast. In future, we might see new technology been in used where AR been integrated into menu. While digital collectibles been introduced on limited menus (if nft ever been successful, only if). While more merchandises related to the kopitiam been introduced, think of plushies, branded mugs, tote bags or just simple useful souvenirs. That's just simple speculations of what will be for coming soon, the kopitiam 3.0.