Mr Bean (company)

Mr Bean Group Limited is a listed retailer based in Singapore. It sells soya bean-based food and drink products. It was founded in 1995. It currently operates a chain of retail outlets through its managing company, Super Bean International, selling a wide range of food and beverages (which all contain traces of soya bean). The group currently operates a total of 65 retail stores (63 island wide in Singapore, and 2 in Japan).

History
Mr Bean was founded in 1995 by Kang Puay Seng, who is now the managing director of Super Bean International, and Loh Jwee Poh, executive director of Super Bean and Kang's best friend. The first Mr Bean stall was located at People's Park Hawker Centre. While visiting an exhibition in the city, the founders discovered a machine that could make soya milk quickly and efficiently. Deeming this as a great business opportunity, they established small kiosks in accessible areas at shopping malls, hospitals, schools and MRT stations. Subsequently, two more stalls were opened, one in Ang Mo Kio and another in Marine Parade.

Awards
Mr Bean won the Singapore Promising Brand Award and the Most Popular Brand Award at the 5th Singapore Promising Brand Awards. It also received the My Favorite Consumer Brand Award from the Singapore Food Manufacturers Association and Shin Min Daily News.

Pathlight School
Mr Bean has been sponsoring food and beverages to the autistic students of Pathlight School since 2007. The company also raised funds for the school by selling Pathlight School merchandise. As part of Pathlight School’s Worksite & Job Coaching Programme, Mr Bean also set up two training kiosks at Pathlight School and its sister school, Eden School Singapore. The students at the two academies were taught how to use equipment from Mr Bean and how to serve customers.

Operation Smile
In a collaboration with Operation Smile Cambodia, Mr Bean funded part of the journey to Kampong Cham, Cambodia, where doctors provided free surgery for children with facial deformities like cleft lips, cleft palates and facial tumours.

Singapore
As of March 2012, Mr Bean has total of 63 listed outlets in the island of Singapore, some outlets located on Singapore MRT stations.

Japan
In January, 2010, in a partnership with Tokyu Gourmet Front, Super Bean International opened a Mr Bean outlet in Shibuya, Japan, at the Shibuya Train Station.

Coming soon
In March, 2012, the Mr Bean group announced that it will open 12 stores across the region by the end of the year to add to its five outlets in Tokyo, Seoul, Malaysia and Shanghai.

With the regional expansion underway, Mr Bean hopes to double the number of overseas stores to 34 by 2013 and eventually expand to other markets such as the United States of America.