ASTONS Specialities (Singapore Restaurant)

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ASTONS Specialties is a Western food franchise that was founded in Singapore. The restaurant chain is known for serving affordable Western cuisine. ASTONS Specialties won the Best Western Restaurant title at the AsiaOne’s People Choice Awards 2016.[1] The brand has also won an award at the Asian Enterprise Brand Awards.[2] As of 2020, the ASTONS Food and Beverage (F&B) Specialties group has expanded to include 10 brands across three countries.

Background

Pictured: The first ASTONS Specialities stall. Photo from Facebook.

Aston Soon is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ASTONS F&B Specialities group.[3] He joined the food and beverage industry in 1988, working in restaurants as kitchen staff and a waiter[4] for seven years before starting his own business.[5][6]

Founder & origins

Working on a S$35,000 loan from friends and family, Aston founded ASTONS Specialities in 2005.[7] At the time, it was a stall in a coffeeshop along East Coast Road. Aston worked 18-hour shifts with the help of his mother-in-law, his wife and her sisters. The stall reportedly broke even within six months of operations.[8] In 2006, Aston opened a restaurant two units away from his stall. That same year, the 33-seater restaurant expanded to accommodate 90 diners.[9] In 2007, Aston opened a second outlet at Serangoon Gardens. He took on this venture with Ivan Loo, his ex-colleague and long-time friend.[10] He then opened a third outlet for ASTONS Specialties in Joo Chiat.[11]

Franchise

As of June 2020, ASTONS has 21 restaurant locations in Singapore.[12] Aston worked with the agency, Concept Lab Communications to develop the branding for the ASTONS franchise.[13] They conceptualised the brand's logo, the restaurant menu and the customer dining experience.

Local expansion

ASTONS Specialities has four sub-brands that target different audiences. The following table provides more details.

Name Concept No. of outlets Refs.
Andes by ASTONS Halal-certified Western cuisine 6 [14]
ASTONS Express Original ASTONS menu without the dining experience 9 [15]
ASTONS Specialities Original ASTONS menu and dining experience 5
ASTONS Steak & Salad Pricier menu items with a larger wine selection 1

In a 2019 podcast with MONEYFM 89.3, Aston shared that he keeps his prices affordable by maintaining a good relationship with his suppliers and "streamlining operational costs".[16] Malaysia Tatler reported in a 2019 article that Andes by ASTONS imports its produce from Weeds and More, an enterprise situated in Malaysia.[17]

Overseas expansion

ASTONS has taken on franchise opportunities with overseas partners and has restaurants in Myanmar and Malaysia.[18]

Charity efforts

Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) (2018)

In 2018, ASTONS Express worked with APSN to rebrand the organisation's Café Sheltered Enterprise, an establishment that provides job training opportunities to the individuals at the APSN Centre for Adults (CFA).[19] Under the training programme, successful trainees were offered full-time employment with ASTONS Specialties.[20] Located at Kembangan-Chai Chee Community Hub, the bistro was rebranded as APSN Café for All & ASTONS Express.[21]

Job Club x ASTONS (2013)

Job Club was a job-matching initiative launched in 2009 by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). In 2013, The Straits Times reported that ASTONS has hired six servers and kitchen helpers through the programme.[22]

ieat 2nd Anniversary Charity Makan Session (2008)

In 2008, ASTONS collaborated with Dr Leslie Tay, the blogger behind ieatishootipost to host the website's second-anniversary charity dinner at The Cathay. The event raised S$8,344 to fund tuition classes and books for the children of Oakley’s Prison’s Ministry.[23]

Affiliated restaurants

Over the years, ASTONS has also diversified beyond Western cuisine.[24] The following restaurants in Singapore are managed by the ASTONS Food and Beverage (F&B) Specialties PTE LTD.

Name No. of outlets
Aji Ichi Japanese Casual Dining 4
BIZEN Okayama Wagyu Steakhouse 2
Chic-a-boo Fried Chicken 5
東寶之東方明珠 East Treasure Chinese Restaurant 1
Javier’s Rotisserie & Salad 1
Jaz Bistro 3
Man Le Hotpot Buffet & Teochew Porridge Buffet 2
Sedap Mania by ASTONS 1
The Ranch Steakhouse By ASTONS 1

References/ Citations

  1. ↑ “Bite sized.” The New Paper. April 27, 2016. Accessed January 03, 2020. Retrieved from Factiva.
  2. ↑ Astons Singapore. Facebook. November 19, 2018. Accessed on 5 June 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/AstonsSG/photos/a.1452111504868049/2032870880125439/?type=3&theater
  3. ↑ “Astons Specialities”. Concept Lab Communications. Accessed January 3, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Astons – From a one-man stall to a global F&B brand". MONEYFM 89.3. August 30, 2019. August 30, 2019. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Aston Soon". Global Restaurant Leadership. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Daniel. "Astons – A Wagyu Burger with Aston Soon". Daniel Food Diary. May 27, 2010. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Astons – From a one-man stall to a global F&B brand". MONEYFM 89.3. August 30, 2019. August 30, 2019. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Tan, Yi Hui. “From hawker to steak king.” The Straits Times. August 3, 2009. Accessed January 2, 2020. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  9. ↑ Ibid.
  10. ↑ Tan, Yi Hui. “From hawker to steak king.” The Straits Times. August 3, 2009. Accessed January 2, 2020. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  11. ↑ Ibid.
  12. ↑ "Locations". Astons. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  13. ↑ “Astons Specialities”. Concept Lab Communications. Accessed January 3, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Fish & Co and Delifrance Singapore no longer halal certified". The New Paper. August 7, 2018. Accessed on 5 June 2020. Retrieved from The Straits Times.
  15. ↑ Tan, Yi Hui. “From hawker to steak king”. The Straits Times. August 3, 2009. Accessed 2 January 2020. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  16. ↑ "Astons – From a one-man stall to a global F&B brand". MONEYFM 89.3. August 30, 2019. August 30, 2019. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  17. ↑ "Watch: Why Fine Dining Chefs Are Ordering Their Produce From Weeds & More". Malaysia Tatler. March 22, 2019. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  18. ↑ "Franchise". Astons Specialties. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "APSN and ASTONS Seal the Deal to form Halal-certified Enterprise”. APSN. October 4, 2018. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  20. ↑ “APSN Sheltered Enterprises”. APSN. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "APSN and ASTONS Seal the Deal to form Halal-certified Enterprise”. APSN. October 4, 2018. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
  22. ↑ Lin, Melissa. “Job Club needs more employers.” The Straits Times. February 13, 2013. Accessed January 03, 2020. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  23. ↑ Djuhar, Bryna. “Blogger nets $8,000 for charity.” MyPaper. August 25, 2008. Accessed January 03, 2019. Retrieved from Factiva.
  24. ↑ Fred. "Hot Seat Openings: ASTONS CEO ventures into hotpot buffet with MANLE". Bites. September 18, 2017. Accessed on 5 June 2020.
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