OUR SPECIALTY

Fairtrade coffees by the cup or to go. Also, vegetarian food like the somewhat famous Tempeh Burger, which has its own Facebook page. The popular soya patty burger comes with a small side salad and is priced at an affordable $11.90 without GST, just like the other items on the menu.

THE INNOVATION

Most social enterprises usually have a predominant social cause but as a vegetarian and environmentalist himself, owner Woon Tien Wei chooses to focus on green issues though he would not refuse to publicise or support social causes when he is asked to.

A cafe by the day and social activist by the night, Food #03 has hosted and provided support for several social causes and projects in the form of publicity on both its website and by word of mouth, as well as physical space on the second level of the cafe at no costs. One ongoing project is the Soup Kitchen Project which serves vegetarian food to anyone, poor and hungry or not, for free at the cafe every Monday.

Besides being an eco-friendly cafe hidden deep within exotic Little India, the place is also a breeding ground for ideas to happen and groups to gather. Environmental and social groups such as Green Drinks Singapore, Social Enterprise SG and Food not Bombs frequent the cafe for their regular meetings.

BRIEF BACKGROUND

The vegetarian cafe of a social enterprise is the brainchild of Woon Tien Wei, 30, an artist who decided to name the cafe after his last art project, Food #02 last year. Post Museum next door is opened by his wife, Jennifer, and social projects are often jointly organised, if not supported, by the two.

On top of serving eco-friendly and socially conscious food and supporting social causes and groups, the cafe also collects plastic bags and takeaway containers, which will be re-used, and leftover food is given away to friends and the less fortunate around the area. For example, the Really, Really Free Market organised at Post Museum promotes an alternative economy to the current on where wasteful spending is prominent, by encouraging people to bring down things that they do not want anymore and which are in good condition, as well as “shop” for things that might be trash to others but treasure for you.