By Jermaine Ng

ASK Samantha Quek and Ernest Tan to describe themselves, and they will probably tell you all about their love of coffee.

The final-year Business Studies students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's School of Business & Accountancy, also run their own cafe - on campus, no less.

'We prefer to keep a low profile about our credentials,' said Samantha. 'But that doesn't mean that we're not proud of our cafe.'

Few students below the age of 20 can strike a firm balance between studying and managing a business, but this pair certainly do. On average, their cafe - Smooch Cafe @ 72 - sells up to 80 cups of coffee a day, earning $400, or $500 on better days.

With the coffee machine whirling in the background, the duo recount their journey in starting the business. 'It stemmed from our love of coffee,' Samantha said. 'It was frustrating having to pay close to $7 each time we wanted a cup of coffee, when we could probably recreate the flavours we wanted at home.

'Before us, some seniors intended to set up a cafe, and roped us into the joint venture. However, the plan was hampered by unforeseen circumstances, and the baton was passed to us.'

After doing extensive homework for close to a year, the duo decided to scale down the original plan to set up a coffee joint outside school to one on campus instead. 'We surveyed and analysed the market in our school,' said Ernest. 'We had schoolmates who considered bringing other cafes into the school campus, and we felt we could establish our presence here.'

The learning gradient was steep. The duo spent months contacting suppliers, sampling and creating their own recipes. 'We had to taste various pastries from different suppliers, and spent days simply drinking coffee,' said Samantha. 'We wanted our coffee to taste unique. In fact, every drink on our menu was put down after much tasting and deliberation.'

'It sounds good, but too much of a good thing can have a negative effect,' said Ernest, wincing slightly at the memory. 'It was worth every moment, though.'

The duo also conducted surveys and interviews with schoolmates and cafe owners to determine what prices to set for their drinks. 'We had different factors to consider. Since our cafe is on campus, we had to ensure that good quality came with reasonable prices,' said Samantha. Generally, their drinks sell for half the price of those at popular coffee joints outside.

The duo invested $21,000 from their own pockets in the venture, including funds provided by their families. Apart from parental support, they also received a $3,000 grant under Ngee Ann Polytechnic's EnterpriZe! Scheme, an incentive funding programme aimed at helping students start their own businesses.

Samantha's best memory of the journey was seeing the newly renovated 15.36 square metre space. 'The entire process took close to three months. It was tiring at times, especially when things didn't go the way we hoped,' she admitted.

There were times when orders were not followed through, and new suppliers had to be found on tight deadlines.

But after close to a year of hard work, Smooch Cafe @ 72 opened early last November. 'To see our cafe up and running after all the obstacles we faced was amazing,' Samantha said.

Smooch Cafe @ 72, which opens on weekdays, has a staff of 11 part-time workers. Most are friends keen to earn some extra money, the duo said.

The owners believe in paying for their orders on purchase rather than on credit. 'It may be more expensive, but it helps us remain debt-free,' Ernest said. 'The cafe is our baby, and we definitely do not want it to drown in milk.'

Fresh pastries are brought in daily, while coffee and frozen food supplies are brought in once a fortnight. A current favourite on its menu is the Ice Cream Eclair, which sells at $2 for three.

Recent additions to the menu include vanilla frappe and latte. 'I tried a vanilla latte after watching a documentary that featured David Beckham drinking a cup each morning,' Ernest said. 'I loved the taste so much that we simply had to recreate the flavour for our cafe.'

With Samantha being a risk-taker and Ernest more conservative, the pair think their respective personalities are complementary.

The two-month-old cafe has seen its share of quirky customers. 'We once had an order for Raspberry Syrup drizzled in Caramel Frappe,' recalled Samantha. Other 'extremely difficult' customers included ones who question their products heavily.

'But meeting different customers is all part of the business,' Samantha said. 'Regardless of how tiresome it may be to serve these customers, doing it with a smile always helps to improve things.'

This article was first published in The Business Times.