Isaac D’Souza, the 24-year-old owner of Shinjuku Kissa Tetsudo, is closing his railway-themed cafe at 111 Somerset on May 18, just seven months after its grand opening. The cafe, which Isaac created out of his love for trains, has faced ongoing struggles that led him to this difficult decision.
In a candid interview with AsiaOne, Isaac pointed to his experiences with customers as the primary reason for the closure. “The honest answer is largely due to the bulk of customers being very stingy, calculative, and inconsiderate to the business,” he explained.
Shinjuku Kissa Tetsudo, which featured a train diorama created by Isaac himself, was designed to be a unique experience for train enthusiasts. However, Isaac admitted that one of his biggest mistakes was setting up the cafe’s main attraction in full view of passersby. Despite installing a privacy screen and charging a $10 exhibition fee, customers continued to peer over the screen, often hoisting their children on their shoulders to get a better look. Isaac found this not only rude but also dangerous, as it distracted from the immersive experience he had worked so hard to create.
The cafe’s troubles didn’t stop there. Isaac also faced issues with customers hogging seats, which were in limited supply — only eight seats and two tatami mats were available. One particularly frustrating incident involved a woman asking if she could buy just one drink for her grandson so that he could play with the trains without purchasing anything himself. Isaac was deeply insulted, feeling that the customer not only disrespected him but also expected him to watch over her child.
Isaac, who has Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, had always found solace in trains, which led him to set up Shinjuku Kissa Tetsudo after visiting similar cafes in Japan. Despite holding only a Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) certificate, Isaac had worked several part-time jobs before deciding to invest his savings and passion into the cafe. However, with low foot traffic and minimal revenue, he revealed that his business was “bleeding money” each month. After an initial investment of $250,000 and ongoing operating losses, Isaac’s total financial setback reached around $300,000.
Despite the setback, Isaac remains passionate about trains and hopes to reopen a cafe in the future, although he intends to avoid families with children. “But no parents and no children. Because they are the worst of the worst,” he said firmly.
Shinjuku Kissa Tetsudo’s closure marks the end of Isaac’s dream for now, but it also highlights the challenges that small business owners often face when balancing passion with the realities of running a sustainable business.