PETALING JAYA, July 7 — When Giggles PJ caught fire in the early hours of May 22, owner David Yap feared years of hard work had disappeared overnight. Instead, what followed became an unexpected lesson in the strength of community.
Yap recalls, “The incident happened at about 1am, but we only found out when our staff arrived to clock in at 7am. We immediately checked our CCTV footage and saw a spark coming from one of the kitchen appliances before the power tripped.”
The blaze damaged the café’s kitchen and forced the business to shut its doors. Thankfully, no one was injured.
Yap says, “Honestly, it felt like everything we had worked so hard to build had disappeared overnight. Seeing the kitchen completely destroyed was heartbreaking, and my first thought wasn’t about the business — it was about my team, my family, and how we were going to move forward.”
Despite the shock, Yap quickly decided there was only one path forward. Giving up, he says, was never an option.
Instead, the focus shifted immediately towards rebuilding the café while finding ways to keep the business running and supporting the team through the closure.
The setback was particularly painful because Giggles was the culmination of years spent in the food and beverage industry.
Before opening the café, Yap worked with established brands including Dome Café, Sukiya and The Big Group before deciding to build something of his own with his wife after the birth of their first child.
They envisioned Giggles as a welcoming neighbourhood café where families, friends and people of all ages could gather over comforting food and good coffee — a place that lived up to its cheerful name with plenty of smiles and laughter.
Giggles had built a loyal following with its mix of local favourites and Western comfort fare, served alongside specialty coffee and traditional Hainanese kopi.
Even as repairs got underway, the bills continued to arrive and staff still needed support. But amid the uncertainty, regular customers kept asking how they could help.
Rather than waiting for renovations to finish, Giggles found other ways to stay connected with the community.
A small coffee kiosk was set up outside the café, while the team also began producing and selling its artisan raspberry compote — giving customers a tangible way to support the business during its recovery.
“The coffee kiosk allowed us to continue serving the neighbourhood, while the raspberry compote became something meaningful that people could take home,” Yap says.
The preserves came to represent more than just another product: “Every jar sold reminded us that people believed in our journey. It tells the story of how Giggles kept moving forward during one of the toughest periods we’ve ever faced.”
More than 800 jars were sold in the first week alone, with many customers returning to buy more, recommending the compote to family and friends and leaving encouraging messages.
The temporary coffee kiosk also became something more than originally envisioned. Many regulars stopped by simply to ask how the renovations were progressing or to show their support with a cup of coffee.
Another way Giggles continued to generate revenue was through catering and events.
Fortunately the café had already built this alternate revenue stream prior to the fire so it wasn’t something they had to start from scratch with.
For many independent cafés, community support often reveals itself slowly — in repeat visits, familiar faces and conversations across the counter.
For Giggles, those everyday gestures became an important reminder that rebuilding was not something they had to do alone.
Now, after weeks of restoration, the café is preparing to welcome customers back. Giggles will reopen on July 8 with a limited menu as operations gradually resume.
Returning favourites include the Smokey and Spiced Chicken Chop, Slurpy Ipoh Hor Fun and Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah, while an entirely new menu is scheduled for August.
Beyond the refreshed interior, Yap sees the reopening not simply as a return to business, but as the beginning of a new chapter for Giggles.
“We’ve taken this opportunity to improve every detail, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the new Giggles.”
Yap says he is most grateful to the customers and community members who stood by Giggles during its most difficult weeks.
“Every coffee they bought, every jar of raspberry compote they took home, every message, every share on social media, and every word of encouragement reminded us that we weren’t facing this alone.”
Tomorrow, customers will once again walk through Giggles’ doors. Many will be familiar faces returning for their favourite coffee and comfort food.
They will be greeted by big smiles as they gather once again for simple moments that, only weeks ago, seemed uncertain.
Giggles PJ
19-GF Jalan SS 23/15,
Taman Sea, PJ
Reopens on Wednesday, July 8. Thereafter, open daily 8am-10pm.
Phone: 012-3603131
IG: https://www.instagram.com/giggles.pj/
For more tales from the table and beyond, visit lifeforbeginners.com.
