Ex-SQ steward, 26, quits flying after just 2 years to open S’pore’s first hole-in-the-wall ‘monster hand’ cafe
For many cabin crew, stepping off the aircraft is just the beginning of a new journey.
Introducing Stomp’s new original series, Life After Landing, where we spotlight former flight attendants who have traded the skies for unexpected careers, pursued personal passions or navigated life-changing experiences after leaving the aviation industry.
Just two and a half years after joining Singapore Airlines (SQ) as an air steward, Haziq Mikhail left his job following a ligament injury.
He had experienced constant pain in his wrist from helping passengers with heavy bags and had flare-ups from past football-related injuries.
To prevent from aggravating the injury further, he decided to quit altogether. However, he was far from disappointed, as it meant he could finally pursue his dream of opening a cafe.
Mikhail completed his National Service (NS) in 2023 after graduating with a diploma in sports coaching. Unsure of what to do next, he decided to take a cue from his brothers — both flight attendants — and applied to be an air steward, thinking it would be suitable as his first full-time job.
Looking back on his time as an SQ steward, he was grateful for the financial stability and the opportunity to travel extensively. At the same time, he felt it had become repetitive after a while and soon got “bored” of it.
He eventually left the airline in November 2025.
“I already knew I wanted to leave and my injury made the decision easier,” he said.
Wanting to set up a takeaway cafe with a unique twist, Mikhail took the plunge and pursued his passion despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks along the way.
Now running his own hole-in-the-wall cafe at Arab Street at 26 years old, he told Stomp he has no regrets about taking the leap.
‘Nobody supported me’
Wanting to pursue his dream of opening a takeaway cafe selling matcha and coffee, Mikhail began searching for ideas online after leaving SIA.
He eventually stumbled upon the hole-in-the-wall concept, which he said was relatively common in countries such as Malaysia, Philippines, Japan and USA.
“So I was like, why not in Singapore? We don’t have a literal hole-in-the-wall cafe,” he said.
The sports coaching graduate soon set his plans into motion despite having no prior experience in the food and beverage or business industries.
However, things took a turn when he first broke the news to his loved ones, who felt he was giving up a stable career, especially with his wedding planned for 2027 and a new home on the way.
They were also concerned about the risks of entering the F&B industry, including high rental costs, business closures and high staff turnover.
“Nobody supported me — even my friends and people close to me,” Mikhail said. “I don’t have the words to describe how I felt when they reacted that way.”
He added that his loved ones tried to convince him to stay in his cabin crew job and pursue his cafe dream only after he had settled down with his fiancée.
“I get where they were coming from, but if not now then when?” he said.
The lack of support for his vision shook his confidence at first, but he understood that his loved ones meant no harm and were simply worried about him.
While both he and his fiancée had their concerns — especially with the wedding planning underway — Mikhail described the venture as a “calculated risk”.
Ultimately, he felt that if he did not give it a shot, he would never know if his dream could become a reality.
Rejected by investors 6 times
Besides facing doubts from his loved ones, Mikhail also faced multiple rejections from different investors.
The first rejection hit him the hardest, he said, as the investor — someone he knew from his NS days — simply said no without offering any explanation.
Most of the investors Mikhail approached said the F&B industry was too saturated. Two expressed interest in his idea, but ultimately invested elsewhere.
Midway through the search for investors, he also parted ways with his business partner following a disagreement over finances.
He said the fallout left him close to giving up on his cafe dream entirely.
But things began looking up when an investor who had previously rejected Mikhail’s proposal referred him to another contact, who later approached him about his business plan.
Describing the investor as a “risk taker”, Mikhail said they spoke for about two weeks before he eventually agreed to invest.
“Thank God he invested. I felt very relieved because I already had a lease agreement for the cafe location,” said Mikhail.
‘I had to go through it the hard way’
With an investor secured and the support of his biggest sources of encouragement — his fiancée and one of his good friends — Mikhail pushed ahead, turning his vision into reality.
He is now the proud founder of Peekabrew, a hole-in-the-wall cafe selling coffee, matcha and Japanese fried sandwiches.
Mikhail also added a unique twist to the cafe concept by incorporating an element of surprise when serving customers their food and drinks through the hole.
Staff would wear a “monster hand” glove and suddenly reach out through the opening, surprising them and creating an interactive video-worthy moment out of the experience.
This unique feature, he said, has helped attract many customers. Several videos posted by his customers have gone viral on TikTok since the cafe opened in July.
Rather than letting the lack of support from his loved ones hold him back, Mikhail said it motivated him to prove them wrong.
“It was a tough journey. I had to go through it the hard way because I didn’t know anything, but I’m glad that I had friends who helped me,” he said.
In the end, Mikhail’s hard work paid off. His loved ones, who had initially been skeptical, turned up to support him at his cafe’s grand opening.
“They were proud of me,” he said with a smile.
The weekend after the opening proved overwhelming, with customers queuing for more than an hour under the sun.
Now, Mikhail heads to his cafe multiple days a week, working alongside his three staff members.
During the first month after opening, however, he would start work at 10am and only reach home at around 11.30pm.
Things are more manageable now, he said, giving him more time to see his friends, family and fiancée.
“I have no regrets opening the cafe,” Mikhail said.
“If you don’t dive, you will never know the opportunity waiting for you.”
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