Case Study: Designing Mary Grace Café — Singapore’s First Outlet
When Mary Grace — a beloved Philippine patisserie and café brand — decided to open its first Singapore outlet, they needed a fit-out contractor who could translate an established brand identity into a new market context, on time and within a fixed budget. That project came to Gridline.
The Brief
Mary Grace operates a signature aesthetic — warm, feminine, and heritage-driven — built around their iconic egg pie and artisan pastries. The brief for the Singapore outlet was to bring that brand warmth into a contemporary retail-café format suitable for the local market, without losing the qualities that made the original brand distinctive. Key requirements included a functional service counter and display case layout, comfortable dine-in seating for approximately 30 covers, brand-aligned material palette, and a timeline that aligned with the outlet's planned launch date.
Design Approach
We began with a detailed space planning exercise to resolve the competing demands of service flow, display, and dine-in. The service counter was positioned to allow clear sightlines from the entrance — drawing guests toward the pastry display immediately on entry. For materials, we worked within the brand's existing palette while selecting finishes appropriate for Singapore's climate and the volume of foot traffic expected in a mall-adjacent location. Warm timber tones, cream-toned wall finishes, and curated lighting were specified to reinforce the brand's artisanal character without requiring custom manufacturing. 3D renders were produced and signed off by the client before any construction works commenced, giving the brand team full visibility of the completed space before a single wall was touched.
Construction and Delivery
The build involved full carpentry works for the service counter and display units, wall and ceiling finishes, custom lighting installation, and coordination of all M&E works including the kitchen ventilation and power requirements for the pastry display cases. The project was completed on schedule, meeting Mary Grace's launch timeline for their Singapore market entry. The outlet opened to strong initial reception, with the physical space drawing consistent coverage on social media in the weeks following launch.
What This Project Demonstrates
F&B fit-outs for brands entering a new market require a specific kind of contractor engagement: one that understands brand communication as well as construction. Getting the space right isn't just about making it functional — it's about making it work as a physical extension of the brand. Gridline's approach of integrating brand consideration into the design process — not treating it as a separate workstream — is what allows us to deliver F&B spaces that perform commercially and visually. View the full Mary Grace Café project on our portfolio, or get in touch at hello@gridlinedesign.sg to discuss your F&B fit-out.
Case Study: Designing Mary Grace Café — Singapore’s First Outlet
When Mary Grace — a beloved Philippine patisserie and café brand — decided to open its first Singapore outlet, they needed a fit-out contractor who could translate an established brand identity into a new market context, on time and within a fixed budget. That project came to Gridline.
The Brief
Mary Grace operates a signature aesthetic — warm, feminine, and heritage-driven — built around their iconic egg pie and artisan pastries. The brief for the Singapore outlet was to bring that brand warmth into a contemporary retail-café format suitable for the local market, without losing the qualities that made the original brand distinctive. Key requirements included a functional service counter and display case layout, comfortable dine-in seating for approximately 30 covers, brand-aligned material palette, and a timeline that aligned with the outlet's planned launch date.
Design Approach
We began with a detailed space planning exercise to resolve the competing demands of service flow, display, and dine-in. The service counter was positioned to allow clear sightlines from the entrance — drawing guests toward the pastry display immediately on entry. For materials, we worked within the brand's existing palette while selecting finishes appropriate for Singapore's climate and the volume of foot traffic expected in a mall-adjacent location. Warm timber tones, cream-toned wall finishes, and curated lighting were specified to reinforce the brand's artisanal character without requiring custom manufacturing. 3D renders were produced and signed off by the client before any construction works commenced, giving the brand team full visibility of the completed space before a single wall was touched.
Construction and Delivery
The build involved full carpentry works for the service counter and display units, wall and ceiling finishes, custom lighting installation, and coordination of all M&E works including the kitchen ventilation and power requirements for the pastry display cases. The project was completed on schedule, meeting Mary Grace's launch timeline for their Singapore market entry. The outlet opened to strong initial reception, with the physical space drawing consistent coverage on social media in the weeks following launch.
What This Project Demonstrates
F&B fit-outs for brands entering a new market require a specific kind of contractor engagement: one that understands brand communication as well as construction. Getting the space right isn't just about making it functional — it's about making it work as a physical extension of the brand. Gridline's approach of integrating brand consideration into the design process — not treating it as a separate workstream — is what allows us to deliver F&B spaces that perform commercially and visually. View the full Mary Grace Café project on our portfolio, or get in touch at hello@gridlinedesign.sg to discuss your F&B fit-out.
Case Study: Designing Mary Grace Café — Singapore’s First Outlet
When Mary Grace — a beloved Philippine patisserie and café brand — decided to open its first Singapore outlet, they needed a fit-out contractor who could translate an established brand identity into a new market context, on time and within a fixed budget. That project came to Gridline.
The Brief
Mary Grace operates a signature aesthetic — warm, feminine, and heritage-driven — built around their iconic egg pie and artisan pastries. The brief for the Singapore outlet was to bring that brand warmth into a contemporary retail-café format suitable for the local market, without losing the qualities that made the original brand distinctive. Key requirements included a functional service counter and display case layout, comfortable dine-in seating for approximately 30 covers, brand-aligned material palette, and a timeline that aligned with the outlet's planned launch date.
Design Approach
We began with a detailed space planning exercise to resolve the competing demands of service flow, display, and dine-in. The service counter was positioned to allow clear sightlines from the entrance — drawing guests toward the pastry display immediately on entry. For materials, we worked within the brand's existing palette while selecting finishes appropriate for Singapore's climate and the volume of foot traffic expected in a mall-adjacent location. Warm timber tones, cream-toned wall finishes, and curated lighting were specified to reinforce the brand's artisanal character without requiring custom manufacturing. 3D renders were produced and signed off by the client before any construction works commenced, giving the brand team full visibility of the completed space before a single wall was touched.
Construction and Delivery
The build involved full carpentry works for the service counter and display units, wall and ceiling finishes, custom lighting installation, and coordination of all M&E works including the kitchen ventilation and power requirements for the pastry display cases. The project was completed on schedule, meeting Mary Grace's launch timeline for their Singapore market entry. The outlet opened to strong initial reception, with the physical space drawing consistent coverage on social media in the weeks following launch.
What This Project Demonstrates
F&B fit-outs for brands entering a new market require a specific kind of contractor engagement: one that understands brand communication as well as construction. Getting the space right isn't just about making it functional — it's about making it work as a physical extension of the brand. Gridline's approach of integrating brand consideration into the design process — not treating it as a separate workstream — is what allows us to deliver F&B spaces that perform commercially and visually. View the full Mary Grace Café project on our portfolio, or get in touch at hello@gridlinedesign.sg to discuss your F&B fit-out.
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© 2025 Gridline Design. All rights reserved.
Website Built and Designed by Attune.
Let's make something wonderful.
Visit Us
Address: 39 Woodlands Close, Mega@Woodlands, #05-14
Email: hello@gridlinedesign.sg
Number: +65 9617 2217
© 2025 Gridline Design. All rights reserved. Website Built and Designed by Attune.