SugarBelly: 22-year-old opens mochi doughnut shop in Jewel

At just 22 years old, SugarBelly’s founder, Alexan Tang, is a whirlwind of vivacious, youthful energy. She speaks with an air of confidence and enthusiasm that’s infectious — her excitement for her brand palpable and her ambitions even bigger. 

It started with one bite.

During a trip to Japan, Alexan discovered the mochi doughnut at a small neighbourhood bakery in the countryside. Inspired, she spent a year refining the recipe to make a lighter, chewier doughnut from scratch. 

She introduced her precious creations at a small pop-up at International Plaza in April 2023. Less than two years later, SugarBelly soft-launched its first permanent store at Jewel Changi Airport earlier this month, on January 12.

The backstory 

When she first picked up baking as a hobby in primary school, Alexan never expected to eventually run her own bakery.

But the universe had bigger plans for her. When she first landed on the idea of launching her own bakery, Alexan had a dream — quite literally — where she saw the name SugarBelly.

“I saw the name on the signboard of a big bakery in front of me and I was telling myself: ‘This is mine!’” she says. “I remember: I woke up at 3 am and typed it into my notes app, before going back to sleep.”

Call it fate, divine revelation or manifestation, but one can’t deny the sheer determination it took to bring SugarBelly to life. 

After the rave response at SugarBelly’s first International Plaza pop-up, it was clear that there was an untapped market in Singapore for these mochi doughnuts. Over the next year, Alexan connected with more event organisers who tried her doughnuts and invited her to other events, including a high profile pop-up at Takashimaya.

With her heart set on growing the brand, Alexan reinvested every cent she earned back into her business. Pursuing SugarBelly meant making many sacrifices — including putting her university degree on hold to chase this dream. 

While most parents dream of their kids taking the conventional route — earning a degree and securing a stable corporate job — in Alexan’s case, her parents saw the potential in SugarBelly before she did and encouraged her to chase her dreams. 

“I actually wanted to go to university after I graduated from culinary school, but they said: ‘Cannot,’” Alexan recalls, laughing.

Their belief wasn’t misplaced. After months of toil, SugarBelly secured a permanent home at Jewel Changi Airport — proving that bold ideas (and great doughnuts) can carry you far.

The SugarBelly experience 

Nestled among the food stalls located in basement two of Jewel Changi Airport, SugarBelly’s new home stands out with its vibrant blue and pink hues. A tantalising giant doughnut greets customers at the front of the store, and teases SugarBelly’s offerings — an intentional design choice by Alexan to reflect the brand’s fun and creativity.  

And this creative spirit is reflected in SugarBelly’s menu, too. During its grand opening week, SugarBelly offered six flavours – Kit Kat chocolate, matcha strawberry, Lotus Biscoff, mala cheesy ham, sakura strawberry  and cinnamon (S$6 each).

But you could find something entirely new when you visit. SugarBelly rotates its flavours on a weekly basis, a labour-intensive process that Alexan embraces as a form of creative expression. 

“It’s a lot of work,” Alexan says. “But I want to share different flavours with Singaporeans and to show how SugarBelly is very versatile.”

While the doughnuts are on the pricier side, SugarBelly prioritises its high quality ingredients and fresh doughnuts over anything else. 

“The dough itself is sugar-free and eggless, with no added preservatives,” Alexan explains. “Most of our ingredients are sourced from Japan. The flour is specially sourced and requires at least a month to arrive in Singapore.”

Matcha lovers may also want to take note — according to Alexan, SugarBelly is Singapore’s first matcha on tap. (It narrowly beats Coffee 2050, which also opened last weekend.)

The matcha is hand-whisked daily to preserve its rich flavour, so only limited quantities are available.

Choose from two flavours: matcha (S$6) and matcha strawberry (S$7). The latter features an in-house strawberry compote made with Korean strawberries, adding a delicate sweetness to the drink. 

Once you pay at the counter, you’ll be handed a cup. Then, just slot it under the tap and watch the magic happen.

The matcha used is sourced from a Japanese brand, so you can be sure there’s a rich, creamy flavour. Going at S$6 for a 16oz cup, you really get quite the bang for your buck.

While there aren’t any plant-based options yet, Alexan plans to expand the menu further, once SugarBelly has fully settled. This includes introducing new matcha flavours, too.

Challenges of a young founder 

From the outside, being a young founder seems like a dream — getting to call the shots, building your own brand, and having your name attached to a business — before most people find their first job. The reality is less glamorous — rather, more a trial by fire. 

Alexan was hesitant to speak up, at first. She was unsure of her knowledge, especially compared to the industry veterans she was working with. 

Over time, she found the courage to challenge them, using her own research and confidence to level the field. 

“I had people charge me extra for a service, because they think I’m young and don’t know anything,” she says. “But I can check prices online. When I call them out, they know I’m not here to play.”

Alexan confides that beyond being underestimated, being a young entrepreneur can also be isolating. 

She wakes up as early as 5am each day to make her secret dough from scratch. And her day doesn’t end when SugarBelly closes at 10pm — she’s also the brand’s marketing team, logistics coordinator and finance director, juggling everything from social media strategy, to supply chain hiccups. 

With no formal education on these subjects, Alexan had to quickly learn on the job. She would analyse and study TikTok trends, testing different strategies to see what resonated with her target audience, to bring her dream to life. 

The workload left little time for social pursuits, and seeing her peers enjoy campus life sometimes made her question her decision to start SugarBelly so young. 

“When I make mistakes, I would think: ‘Maybe I’m not cut out for this’, ‘Maybe I’m still too young’, or ‘Maybe I need a degree to learn more,’” she says. “But when I look back, I realise that these are all mistakes that are very valuable to me.”

Competing with larger brands 

With SugarBelly’s rise, it is inevitable that comparisons are being drawn. There are other brands serving up mochi doughnut renditions on their own, including a certain Japanese doughnut chain that also launched in Singapore in 2023. However, Alexan remains unfazed when asked about it.

“Even though the shape is the shame, the execution is different, ” Alexan explains. “SugarBelly is a creative brand from Singapore. Our branding, marketing angle, and approach — it’s all very different. I want to bring a new generation of Gen-Z creativity into the shopping mall scene.”

Alexan is determined to shake things up and her introduction of Singapore’s first savoury mochi doughnuts is proof of that. The mala cheesy ham was born out of Alexan’s love for mala, and she plans to introduce more savoury flavours to SugarBelly in the coming weeks.

She emphasises that SugarBelly prioritises freshness and quality over mass production. Every doughnut is made to order, ensuring a crispy exterior and chewy centre — something she feels is missing from mochi doughnuts in the current market.

This is also partly why she has an open kitchen concept at her Jewel store. By removing the wall between the kitchen and storefront, Alexan gives customers a front-row seat to the doughnut-making process, letting them watch as each piece transforms from dough to golden perfection in real time.

The immersive experience isn’t just for show — it’s a testament to SugarBelly’s dedication to freshness and quality. Alexan has had to turn down pop-up opportunities simply because she wasn’t allowed to cook on-site. Unwilling to compromise on her standards, she’d chosen to forgo these events.

Looking ahead 

As Alexan reflects on her journey with SugarBelly, she gets a tad emotional. 

“It’s quite surreal for me: Looking back at all the ups-and-downs of building my brand, from this very small pop-up, all the way to a big pop-up at Takashimaya. Now finally, I have my own physical store at Jewel,” she says. “It’s really been very, very tough. With no prior experience in business, I really have to learn through my successes and failures.” 

But her ambitions don’t just stop here. In fact, this is just a stepping stone toward Alexan’s plan to open her first flagship store in Singapore in the next couple of years. She plans to have a seating area for customers to enjoy their doughnuts, and also to include merchandise at her new shop.

Opening in Jewel Changi Airport was also a strategic move on her part — one that could help SugarBelly reach international markets in the future. 

“Jewel is a bridge for Singaporeans and tourists all over the world to try our mochi doughnuts,” she says. “Potentially, they could bring our doughnuts back to their country.”

However, she emphasises that for SugarBelly, it’s always going to be about the quality first — not quantity. She wants her customers to see the effort put into creating each doughnut.

“I really feel that I grew a lot within this one year, and hope that in 2025, I can put my brand out there and to share more of my story, my journey, and to have people from all walks of life to try my mochi doughnuts,” Alexan says.

For more ideas on what to explore, check out our guide on where to get CNY snacks for the upcoming festivities, or wallet-friendly options at the nearby Changi City Point.

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to SugarBelly at Jewel Changi Airport.