SINGAPORE — A simple act of honesty at a Bedok North coffee shop has turned into a heartwarming Singapore story after a worker helped return a bag containing at least S$20,000 in cash to a couple who had accidentally left it behind.
The money was not ordinary spending cash. It was intended to pay the salaries of employees at the couple’s noodle-manufacturing business.
The incident happened during the busy dinner period on November 7 at Lau Ka Kopitiam in Bedok North. A black bag had been left on a chair at a table after its owners finished eating.
Coffee-shop worker Lau, 56, noticed the unattended bag and initially thought it might belong to someone waiting to collect food.
When nobody returned after about 10 minutes, she moved it to the drinks counter, where it could be monitored by a CCTV camera.
What happened next would leave the staff stunned.
A BAG LEFT BEHIND DURING THE DINNER RUSH
According to The Straits Times, the couple had visited the coffee shop at around 6.50pm to eat fish soup before heading to a friend’s wake in Hougang.
The woman had placed the black bag on the chair beside her while they ate. After finishing their meal in a hurry, the couple left without realising that the bag was still there.
Lau initially kept an eye on it because she thought its owner might still be nearby.
When it became clear that nobody was coming back, she moved it to a more secure location near the drinks counter.
She and two colleagues later opened the bag under CCTV surveillance to look for identification.
Instead, they discovered stacks of cash in S$1,000, S$100 and S$50 notes.
Lau estimated that the bag contained at least S$20,000.
The workers were so surprised that they did not dare handle the money or search through the bag further. They quickly zipped it up, returned it to the monitored counter and informed their boss, coffee-shop operator Low Boon Chuan, 40.
Their decision to preserve the bag and alert management became crucial to its eventual return.
THE S$20,000 WAS MEANT FOR EMPLOYEES’ SALARIES
The bag belonged to businessman Tan Yeok Sin, 70, and his wife Low Hong Geok, 63.
The couple operate Tan You Peng Food Industries, a noodle-manufacturing business that employs about 25 people.
According to The Straits Times, the cash was intended to pay the salaries of several employees.
The couple had been rushing to attend a friend’s wake, which distracted them from checking their belongings before leaving the coffee shop.
They did not realise the money was missing until around 10.30pm.
After returning home and searching their car, they suspected that the bag might still be at Lau Ka Kopitiam.
Tan decided to return to the coffee shop at approximately 11pm to check.
He later explained that he was simply trying his luck, hoping the bag had not disappeared.
For a business owner carrying money intended for employees, losing the entire amount could have created a serious problem.
But the couple were about to receive an unexpected piece of good news.
CCTV HELPED THE COFFEE SHOP PROTECT THE BAG
When Tan arrived, he asked the staff whether anyone had found a bag.
The coffee brewer immediately contacted the coffee-shop operator, who had already reviewed the CCTV footage and knew that a couple had left the bag behind.
Tan identified the contents, including his wife’s identity card and name cards, along with the cash.
After the belongings were verified, Low returned the bag.
The money was recovered, bringing an end to what could have been a devastating night for the couple and their employees.
Tan praised the workers for their honesty, saying he was very happy that they had safeguarded the bag.
For Lau, however, the most important outcome was knowing that the owners had recovered their belongings.
She had already finished her shift and gone home by the time the couple returned. When she learned the following day that the bag had been claimed, she said she was relieved and happy for them.
THE COUPLE RETURNED WITH A S$200 HONGBAO, FOOD AND A LABUBU DOLL
The story did not end when the bag was returned.
On November 10, Tan went back to Lau Ka Kopitiam to thank the people who had helped protect the money.
He brought a S$200 hongbao, bags of kueh, sweets and fried snacks, as well as a Labubu doll from his son’s collection.
Tan initially tried to give the red packet to the coffee-shop operator, but Low insisted that it should go to the employee who had found the money.
Lau received the hongbao and the Labubu doll, while the food and snacks were shared among the other coffee-shop workers.
In a particularly touching gesture, Lau said she intended to keep the S$200 hongbao as a souvenir rather than spend it.
The couple also took photographs with her as a way of remembering the encounter.
It was a small reward compared with the amount she had helped protect, but the gesture reflected the gratitude the couple felt towards the staff.
THE COFFEE-SHOP BOSS WAS ALREADY HELPING THE COMMUNITY
Another detail that makes the story stand out is the coffee-shop operator’s charitable work.
Low told The Straits Times that he regularly sponsors meals for elderly residents at AWWA Senior Community Home in Ang Mo Kio.
He makes such donations about five times a month.
On the evening the bag was discovered, Low had been driving back to Bedok after delivering 80 bowls of fish soup sponsored for elderly residents when he received the call from his staff.
He said he was worried that the person who had lost the money might be extremely anxious.
Low also said that if the owner had not returned, he intended to use the identification inside the bag to find and contact the rightful owner.
The story therefore involved more than one act of kindness: the worker protected the money, her colleagues helped secure it, and the operator ensured it remained under surveillance until its owner returned.
After learning about Low’s meal donations, Tan said he hoped to contribute to the charitable efforts in the future.
He praised the operator for his kindness and said he intended to continue patronising the coffee shop.
THE WORKER HAD RETURNED LOST BELONGINGS BEFORE
Lau has worked at the coffee shop for about a year.
She told The Straits Times that she had previously found mobile phones, wallets and even a Malaysian passport left behind by customers.
However, this was the first time she had encountered a bag containing such a large amount of cash.
Low said he was proud of Lau and his other employees for their honesty.
He also noted that customers regularly left behind items such as water bottles and shopping bags at the coffee shop.
Coincidentally, another customer left a Louis Vuitton wallet at the premises the day after the S$20,000 incident. That customer returned to claim it about two hours later.
These everyday encounters show how important responsible handling of lost property can be in busy public dining spaces.
NOT THE FIRST TIME A SINGAPORE COFFEE SHOP HAS BEEN PRAISED FOR RETURNING LOST PROPERTY
The Bedok incident also brings to mind another Singapore case in which coffee-shop workers helped reunite a customer with a lost handbag.
In February 2024, a woman recovered her handbag after a diner noticed it had been left behind at a coffee shop in Sembawang Drive.
The customer handed the bag to drinks-stall staff, who kept it safe until its owner returned. The woman later gave an ang bao to thank the employees.
The two incidents are separate, but both highlight how small decisions by ordinary workers and customers can prevent a stressful loss from becoming something much worse.
Read more: A Singapore Woman Gives an Ang Bao to Coffee-Shop Staff Who Returned Her Lost Handbag.
Singapore’s coffee shops are also familiar gathering places where customers and workers often recognise one another. In another recent case, a dispute over a personal water bottle at a Sembawang coffee shop sparked a wider debate about customer behaviour and the responsibilities of food-and-beverage operators.
WWC ONE MEDIA examined the competing accounts in Sembawang Family Says Stall Owner Threw Their Water Bottle Twice — But the Operator Tells a Very Different Story.
While that incident involved a disagreement rather than an act of kindness, it highlights the important role coffee-shop workers play in everyday interactions with the public.
KINDNESS FROM FRONTLINE FOOD-SERVICE WORKERS OFTEN GOES UNNOTICED
The people working in Singapore’s food-and-beverage industry deal with busy meal periods, demanding customers and long shifts.
Many of their contributions happen quietly, without attracting attention.
A worker who notices a lost wallet, a staff member who helps an elderly customer or an operator who supports a community meal programme may not expect public recognition.
But these everyday actions can make a significant difference.
A recent dispute involving a Wok Hey customer and an employee at Waterway Point also drew attention to the pressures faced by frontline food-service workers.
WWC ONE MEDIA reported on the incident in Wok Hey Customer Sparks Online Backlash After Heated Argument With Staff Over Delayed Fried Rice Order.
The circumstances are very different from the Bedok case. However, both stories bring attention to the people behind Singapore’s food-service counters and the importance of treating workers with respect.
A SIMPLE ACT OF HONESTY THAT COULD HAVE SAVED A BUSINESS OWNER A MAJOR HEADACHE
For Tan and his wife, the missing bag represented more than S$20,000 in cash.
It contained money intended for their employees, and losing it could have disrupted an important business responsibility.
For Lau and her colleagues, the decision was straightforward: protect the property, alert their boss and make sure the money reached its rightful owner.
The couple’s return with food, a S$200 hongbao and a Labubu doll showed how deeply they appreciated that decision.
Tan also said he would remind his wife to be more careful and carry less cash in the future.
But perhaps the most meaningful outcome was the possibility that the encounter could lead to another act of generosity, with Tan expressing interest in supporting Low’s meal donations for elderly residents.
In the end, the story was not about who had the most money or who received the biggest reward.
It was about a worker who chose to do the right thing when nobody was demanding that she do it.
A bag containing at least S$20,000 was left behind during a busy dinner rush. It was returned because one worker refused to look the other way — and the gratitude that followed may create an entirely new chain of kindness.
