How two childhood friends turned pandemic uncertainty and past failures into Singapore’s fastest-growing gelato empire
The aroma of freshly baked waffle cones mingles with the cool sweetness of artisanal gelato at Burnt Cones’ flagship outlet in Sunset Way. It’s a sensory experience that belies the calculated risks and sleepless nights that went into creating what has become one of Singapore’s most unexpected pandemic success stories.
Miles Thng, 34, co-founder and chief executive of Burnt Cones, surveys the bustling outlet with quiet satisfaction. Just five years ago, he was licking his wounds from a spectacular business failure, $50,000 poorer and questioning whether he had what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Today, his gelato empire spans six outlets across Singapore, with a seventh on the horizon and international expansion already underway.
It’s a remarkable transformation that speaks to the power of persistence, the value of failure as education, and the importance of timing—even when that timing seems impossibly wrong.
The Unlikely Genesis
December 2020 was hardly an auspicious time to launch a food business. Singapore’s hospitality sector was still reeling from COVID-19 restrictions, consumer spending was cautious, and the very concept of gathering over dessert seemed almost quaint in a socially distanced world.
Yet it was precisely then that Thng and his childhood friend Xavier Chng, also 34, decided to take their biggest entrepreneurial leap. The decision came with personal stakes that made failure unthinkable: Thng had just quit his corporate job, his wife was expecting their first child, and both partners had invested their life savings—$50,000 each—into a 450-square-foot unit that had previously housed a tuition center.
“The timing was terrible on paper,” Thng admits with characteristic understatement. “But sometimes the worst times create the best opportunities. Everyone else was retreating, which meant there was less competition and better deals on rent.”
The genesis of Burnt Cones traces back to a wedding in January 2017, where Thng reconnected with Chng, his classmate from Anglo-Chinese School (Junior). Both had been exploring the food and beverage space—Thng with his vegan ventures, Chng with his team-building company and private-dining business Sunday Roast. Their conversation that day planted a seed that would take three years to germinate.
Learning from the Ashes
For Thng, the path to Burnt Cones was paved with instructive failures. His first venture, vegan cafe and bar Hrvst, opened in 2017 at OUE Downtown Gallery with high hopes and higher overhead costs. Despite initial enthusiasm, the concept struggled to find its audience in Singapore’s competitive CBD landscape.
“I was young and idealistic,” Thng reflects. “I thought if we built something beautiful and authentic, customers would automatically come. I learned the hard way that business is about meeting market demand, not just following personal passion.”
The failure of Hrvst, which he eventually sold at a $50,000 loss, was followed by another setback: Hello Baby, a vegan fast-food pop-up in Chinatown Food Street that closed in April 2019. Each failure was a masterclass in entrepreneurship that no business school could provide.
“I was demoralized, but those experiences taught me we had to offer something that more people could identify with, something with wider appeal,” he says. “They also taught me that prime CBD space comes with costs that can kill even good concepts.”
These lessons would prove invaluable when planning Burnt Cones. Instead of chasing prestigious addresses, the partners deliberately chose heartland locations with strong residential demographics. Sunset Way, with its mix of HDB flats and private estates, offered the diverse customer base they needed without the crushing rental costs of central Singapore.
The Gelato Gamble
Perhaps the most audacious aspect of the Burnt Cones story is that Thng and Chng signed their lease without knowing how to make gelato. It was a leap of faith that could have easily ended in disaster, but instead became the foundation of their success.
“We knew we wanted to do dessert, and gelato felt like it had the right positioning—premium but not pretentious, indulgent but not heavy,” Thng explains. “But yes, we literally had no idea how to make it when we committed to the space.”
What followed was three months of intensive field research that bordered on the obsessive. The duo visited approximately 30 gelato shops across Singapore, sometimes hitting three to four establishments per day. They studied everything: flavor profiles, texture, presentation, pricing, and customer behavior.
“It put the jelak in jelakto,” jokes Chng, punning on the Malay word for “cloying.” Both partners gained 3 kilograms during their research phase, weight they would later shed during the physical demands of setting up their outlet.
The research paid dividends beyond just understanding gelato. They observed gaps in the market—particularly the lack of late-night dessert options in residential areas—and began developing their unique value proposition: high-quality gelato served in housemade cones and waffles, positioned as an accessible luxury for families and young adults alike.
DIY Dreams and Family Support
The renovation of their first outlet became a family affair that epitomized the bootstrap spirit of their venture. Apart from hiring contractors for electrical and plumbing work and a carpenter for essential cabinetry, Thng and Chng tackled most of the work themselves. They plastered walls, painted surfaces, built partitions, and even carted chairs from home to furnish the dining area.
The physical labor served multiple purposes: it kept costs down during a cash-strapped startup phase, gave the partners intimate knowledge of their space, and created an emotional investment that went beyond mere financial commitment.
“Every nail we hammered, every wall we painted—it all became part of the brand’s DNA,” Thng says. “When customers complimented the decor, we felt genuinely proud because we had literally built it with our own hands.”
The project received crucial support from an unexpected source: Thng’s wife, Tan Huizhen, who was running a home-based bakery at the time. Despite being pregnant, she provided technical guidance on equipment selection, including the crucial batch freezer that would become the heart of their gelato operation. Her experimentation with gelato-making had given her insights that proved invaluable to the fledgling business.
“She was our secret weapon in those early days,” Thng acknowledges. “Her baking background meant she understood the science behind frozen desserts better than we did.”
Conservative Growth in Uncertain Times
The opening of Burnt Cones in December 2020 coincided with one of the most challenging periods in recent memory for Singapore’s food and beverage industry. Rather than being deterred by the uncertainty, the partners used it as motivation to build a resilient business model from day one.
Their approach was deliberately conservative, prioritizing sustainable growth over rapid expansion. Unlike many startup founders who chase venture capital and hockey-stick growth curves, Thng and Chng focused on perfecting their concept at a single location before considering expansion.
“We wanted to prove the model worked before scaling,” Thng explains. “Every new outlet represents a significant investment and operational complexity. We’d rather grow slowly and sustainably than risk everything on aggressive expansion.”
This conservative approach has served them well. The brand has expanded to six outlets across Singapore, each carefully chosen for its demographic fit and operational feasibility. The seventh outlet, scheduled to open by year’s end, represents continued measured growth rather than aggressive scaling.
The partners have also invested in their own capabilities, using SkillsFuture training programs to enhance their business and technical skills. This commitment to continuous learning reflects the hard-won wisdom from their earlier failures: sustainable success requires constant adaptation and improvement.
Innovation Beyond the Cone
While Burnt Cones built its reputation on high-quality gelato and distinctive housemade cones, the partners aren’t content to rest on their current success. They’re developing ambitious plans that could extend their influence far beyond the dessert counter.
Most intriguingly, they’re working on a new app designed specifically for food and beverage operators. While details remain under wraps, the concept appears to address operational challenges they’ve encountered during their own expansion. If successful, licensing this app could become a significant revenue stream independent of their retail operations.
“We’ve learned a lot about the pain points of running multiple F&B outlets,” Thng hints. “If we can solve problems for other operators while improving our own efficiency, that’s a win-win scenario.”
The international expansion is already underway with pop-up operations in Melbourne, Australia. These tests serve multiple purposes: they validate the brand’s appeal outside Singapore’s unique market, provide operational experience in different regulatory environments, and offer insights into the scalability of their concept.
“Melbourne has a sophisticated dessert culture, so it’s a good proving ground,” Thng notes. “If we can succeed there, it opens up possibilities for other international markets.”
The Pandemic Paradox
Looking back, the timing of Burnt Cones’ launch during the pandemic appears almost prescient. While many businesses struggled with restrictions and reduced foot traffic, several factors worked in the dessert chain’s favor.
The shift toward neighborhood dining benefited heartland locations like theirs. Families spending more time at home were willing to venture out for special treats. The comfort food appeal of premium desserts resonated with consumers seeking small luxuries during uncertain times. And reduced competition meant less noise in the marketplace for a new brand to cut through.
“The pandemic taught consumers to appreciate local businesses more,” Thng observes. “People were more willing to try something new in their neighborhood rather than traveling to established destinations.”
The brand’s focus on takeaway and delivery also aligned perfectly with evolving consumer preferences. Even as restrictions eased, the convenience of enjoying premium gelato at home remained appealing to busy families and young professionals.
Lessons in Resilience
The Burnt Cones story offers several instructive lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly in the food and beverage sector. Perhaps most importantly, it demonstrates how previous failures can become competitive advantages when properly analyzed and internalized.
Thng’s expensive education through Hrvst and Hello Baby provided insights that money couldn’t buy: the importance of market fit over personal preference, the value of location strategy, the dangers of premature scaling, and the necessity of conservative financial management. These lessons directly informed every major decision in building Burnt Cones.
The story also highlights the importance of partnership dynamics in entrepreneurial ventures. Thng and Chng’s shared history provided trust and communication foundations that many business partnerships lack. Their complementary skills—Thng’s business development background and Chng’s operational experience—created a more complete leadership team than either could have provided alone.
Family support proved crucial, not just emotionally but practically. Tan Huizhen’s technical contributions and willingness to support a risky venture during pregnancy exemplify the sacrifices often required from entrepreneurial families. Her belief in the concept provided motivation during the darkest moments of doubt.
The Sweet Spot of Success
Today, Burnt Cones occupies an enviable position in Singapore’s competitive dessert landscape. The brand has achieved that elusive sweet spot where quality meets accessibility, premium positioning coexists with family-friendly pricing, and innovation drives growth without sacrificing the core concept that made them successful.
Their housemade cones and waffles provide a point of differentiation that competitors struggle to replicate. The focus on artisanal gelato quality without artisanal pretension appeals to sophisticated palates without intimidating casual consumers. The neighborhood-first location strategy has created a loyal customer base while keeping operational costs manageable.
More importantly, the brand has achieved profitability and sustainable growth without external investment, giving the founders complete control over their expansion strategy and company culture. In an era where many startups are beholden to investor timelines and exit expectations, this independence provides strategic flexibility that money can’t buy.
Looking Forward
As Burnt Cones prepares for its next phase of growth, the challenges are different but no less significant than those faced during the startup phase. Managing multiple outlets requires operational sophistication that goes beyond the entrepreneurial hustle that got them started. International expansion brings regulatory complexity and cultural adaptation requirements. The planned app venture represents a departure from their core competency that could either amplify their success or dilute their focus.
Yet Thng approaches these challenges with the quiet confidence of someone who has survived spectacular failure and built something meaningful from the ashes. The lessons learned from his earlier ventures have become the foundation of a more mature, strategic approach to business building.
“We’re not the same entrepreneurs who started Hrvst or even the ones who opened the first Burnt Cones outlet,” he reflects. “Each phase of growth teaches you something new about yourself and about business. The key is staying humble enough to keep learning.”
As Singapore’s dessert landscape continues to evolve and consumer preferences shift toward experiences over mere consumption, Burnt Cones appears well-positioned to capitalize on these trends. Their combination of product quality, operational efficiency, and strategic patience has created a brand that resonates with customers while generating sustainable returns for its founders.
The story of Burnt Cones is ultimately about transformation—not just of two friends who became successful entrepreneurs, but of failure into wisdom, uncertainty into opportunity, and simple ingredients into something that brings joy to thousands of customers. In a business landscape often obsessed with unicorns and exponential growth, theirs is a more measured success story that prioritizes sustainability over spectacle.
And sometimes, in the competitive world of food and beverage, that approach proves to be the sweetest strategy of all.
Burnt Cones currently operates six outlets across Singapore, with a seventh scheduled to open by the end of 2025. The brand continues to explore international expansion opportunities while developing new technology solutions for food and beverage operators.
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