Feelin’ Coffee Co.: Soul-Warming Coffees and Curing Homesickness in Every Bite

No time to wallow in a cup of coffee when the clock shows at half past six in the morning. While most people can barely wake up for work, it’s time to flip the open sign at the door.

In the kitchen, trays of fresh grab-and-go pastries await mitten hands to be pulled out from the oven. At the counter, coffee cups and paper bags get the navy blue logo with a duck mascot stamped on them.

The cocoon-esque coffee shop reels the neighbourhood in for a quick caffeine fix as the spring breeze makes one crave warmth.

Not in a rush? The long wooden table by the window is the most loved spot to wind down. But there’s more—an alleyway guiding to the hidden courtyard that welcomes furry friends.

It’s not just the café of one’s dreams; it’s a place to call home.

Australia-based couple Madelyne Heah and Hao Wen Yap have decided to take the next step by opening their own café in the Coburg North suburb after working as baristas for years.

(From left to right) Hao Wen Yap and Madelyne Heah, the owners of Feelin’ Coffee Co., during the café’s soft launch.

(Source: Britney Lim)

The couple, who are still in their twenties, only took a year to turn Feelin’ Coffee Co. into reality after moving from Sydney to Melbourne, where the café had its soft launch on 4 September.

“It’s what we always wanted to do and it's like we’re always working for people seven days straight, so why not work towards something that we're doing for ourselves?” said Heah.

The exterior of Feelin’ Coffee Co.

(Source: Madelyne Heah)

The café operates for six days a week, from Monday until Saturday. On Sundays, the couple head to their old café to work as baristas. Despite being without a day off, Heah and Yap maintain a healthy work-life balance by allocating some me-time after closing the café around two in the afternoon.

Feelin’ Coffee Co.’s permanent and seasonal menus mostly draw inspiration from the couple’s Malaysian experience, where numerous fusion toasties or sangas are featured.

The taste of their homemade chilli mayo resembles the Hainanese chicken rice style chilli and the sauce is used in several menu items. One of their latest additions to the seasonal menu, beef rendang in a bun, is a customer favourite.

“We’re working to make it more Malaysian because I feel like Malaysia is kind of like the same as Australia but just with different kinds of people, but it's always multicultural,” Yap explained.

Adopting the barista approach, Heah and Yap only select high-quality beans from Reverence Coffee Roasters which complement their top-grade espresso machine to brew specialty coffee, despite being costly as a start-up.

Throughout the journey of running the café, the couple has described themselves as possessing good financial management skills. However, new businesses take time to be profitable and they’ve been battling with the high operating costs.

“Whatever we have in the business, whatever we're using, is pretty much enough to get us going to pay our suppliers and all that but at the moment Madelyne and I aren’t getting a salary,” said Yap.

When purchasing one of their highly priced assets which is the coffee machine, the couple explored several alternatives so that they could stick within their budget during early days.

“You need to figure out what's your main priority in terms of spending money,” advised Yap.

“Do you really need a completely new coffee machine or can you use a refurbished one that looks new?”

Heah and Yap feel fortunate enough to have friends and family to support them in achieving the initial capital they needed to run Feelin’ Coffee Co. after assessing the risks of lending money from the bank.

The big move from one city to another was a huge sacrifice, including living far away from their families.

But every cloud has a silver lining as the couple’s friends in Melbourne would provide them support, not just towards the business but also mental support.

It has also been a huge opportunity for them to learn more about coffee from different people while trying out more varieties of coffee.

Whether it’s an essential morning coffee run or a cure for homesickness to those who are away from Malaysia, Heah and Yap haven’t only put their heart and soul into every cup, but into their passion.