Interview with Deborah Oh, Founder of Group Therapy
We interviewed Deborah Oh, the woman behind Group Therapy.
Deborah Oh opened Group Therapy Coffee in 2011, imagining a refuge from the daily grind. The café quickly became a community and events space. Today, the flagship outlet at Cross Street Exchange remains one of Singapore’s OG cafes and is consistently featured in best-of lists. Last year, Oh opened Le Petit Katong, a French-inspired bistro in Katong. Her first foray into French fare was awarded “Best French Restaurant” by Singapore Restaurant Week in its Autumn 2024 edition.
Aside from her success in the restaurant/cafe industry, Deborah has also made moves upstream. In the depths of Covid in 2021, she co-acquired a floating fish farm off the coast of Pulau Ubin. Today, the boutique farm supplies produce such as barramundi, grouper, and snapper to her café, bistro, and a number of Singapore restaurants, including some Michelin-starred ones. She is a proponent of sustainable and responsible farming practices without the use of antibiotics and chemicals.
Let's dig in:
For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of dining at your restaurants, please tell us about them. What can guests expect?
Deborah: Group Therapy Café, located at Cross Street Exchange, offers a cozy and inviting atmosphere, making it a popular spot for brunch enthusiasts and coffee lovers. The café is known for its warm ambiance, friendly staff, and a menu that features a variety of all-day breakfast items, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. Whether you’re looking for a place to catch up with friends, enjoy a quiet meal, or simply relax with a cup of coffee, we aim to offer a delightful dining experience.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in the restaurant industry and how have you managed to overcome them?
Deborah:
1. High Staff Turnover & Labour Shortages
Challenge:
• Finding and retaining skilled employees is a constant struggle in the restaurant industry.
• High turnover leads to increased training costs and inconsistent food and service quality.
Solutions:
Offer competitive wages and benefits to attract talent.
Foster a positive workplace culture with incentives, career growth opportunities, and recognition.
Cross-train employees to handle multiple roles to cover unexpected staff shortages.
Implement technology (e.g., Waitrr) to streamline labour management and save costs
2. Rising Food Costs & High Overheads (e.g. space rental)
Challenge:
• Rising ingredient prices can eat into profit margins.
• Global disruptions (pandemics, weather, inflation) can impact food availability.
Surges in rental market creates a challenging and volatile environment for businesses to thrive.
Solutions:
Build relationships with multiple suppliers to avoid dependency on one. Utilise produce from own farm (e.g. fish, mussels) to leverage on sustainable, fresh, local produce at cost price.
Optimize menu pricing and portion control to maintain profitability.
Reduce waste by tracking inventory carefully.
Maintaining good relations with landlords could help with the renewal process in softening the rental increments.
3. Adapting to Changing Consumer Preferences
Challenge:
• Customers’ preferences evolve (e.g., demand for healthier, plant-based, or sustainable options).]
Solutions:
Utilise a good POS system to track menu performance and regularly update the menu.
Offer vegetarian, vegan, and allergen-friendly options. Locally sourced, sustainable fish on the menu.
Utilise social media and promotions to engage customers and stay relevant.
Outside of Group Therapy Cross Street Exchange Branch
How has your business grown or changed before, during, and after the pandemic? What strategies did you implement to adapt to the changing circumstances?
Deborah: Before the pandemic, there was a heavy focus on in-person dining experiences with steady revenue from dine-in services and events. During the pandemic, businesses had to survive and adapt to the new normal of not having dine-in customers. While take-outs and delivery worked well in the neighbourhoods, there was very little traffic in the CBD. We created new meal kits and care packages and used our CBD location as a packing centre for these orders so that we could retain all our staff throughout the pandemic. Post-pandemic has seen some key shifts in the industry. There are still a good number of workers that work-from-home anywhere between 1-3 days per week. Some companies have used F&B as a way to lure/attract workers back to the office with an increase in demand for in-office catering and/or coffee credits at the café on certain days of the week (e.g. Mondays). The catering business has expanded to meet the increased demand of such corporate requests. Festive seasons (e.g. Christmas) have been quieter compared to the pre-pandemic era due to a strong Singapore dollar and revenge travelling abroad during the holiday period. While dine-in tends to drop (many offices shut-down during this period), we have focused on a strong home-catering menu for our popular festive specials.
How has Waitrr benefitted your business?
Deborah:
• Reducing wait times for customers
• Increasing table turnover rates
• Minimizing labor costs by reducing the need for order-taking staff
• Boosting sales with upselling features in the app
• Enhancing customer experience by allowing seamless ordering and payment
What advice do you have for restaurant owners to increase their chances of success?
Deborah: Be agile and open to opportunities outside your traditional business model which could generate additional revenue for the business. Manage costs & inventory wisely, keep wastage to a minimum and staff optimally. Invest in retaining good staff as they are the pillars of the business. Utilize technology for efficiency (e.g. Waitrr) and maintain the consistency and quality of food and service.
Want to learn more on how Waitrr can benefit your cafe or restaurant? Contact us here:
Did you enjoy reading this article? You might like these ones too:
1. Interview with Guy Wachs, Co-Founder of Wild Honey
2. Interview with Marcus Gan, manager of EagleWings Loft and EagleWings Cinema
3. Interview with Emma Paris, Co-Owner & Director of Balanced Living & The Living Cafe