Rollney pivots from storefront losses to robot-led growth in Singapore
Rollney Singapore’s profit margin dropped from 28% in 2024 to 6% in 2026, forcing the kurtos chain to abandon expansion through new outlets and switch to robotic vending machines instead.
Source: Vulcan Post Malaysia · August 12, 2026 at 6:30 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-source
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 AUGUST 2026 —
Rollney Singapore’s profit margin dropped from 28% in 2024 to 6% in 2026, forcing the kurtos chain to abandon expansion through new outlets and switch to robotic vending machines instead.
Market Impact
The shift began after founder Narresh Babu found that each physical store required roughly twice the daily transactions to cover rent and staff costs. Costed projections for a second outlet showed the same capital could deploy six soft-serve robots, prompting a pivot to automation. In November 2025 Narresh invested S$125,000 to install five of the country’s first robotic vending machines, each capable of making fresh kurtos-to-order.
“Awareness is the biggest key for everything,” Narresh said. After three months of declining sales in 2024, he raised Rollney’s social-media presence and recovered footfall, yet margins kept falling. The VivoCity flagship, once 300 sq ft, will shrink to a 20-40 sq ft kiosk on 5 September to cut rent while keeping the brand visible at the mall.
Rollney now runs four revenue streams: the VivoCity kiosk, its own fleet of robotic vending machines, vending-machine franchises, and event rentals. The company’s machines have sold between 20,000 and 25,000 kurtos cups since launch, with sales rising 3-4% month-on-month. Each unit charges from S$3 per serving and can be relocated without a long-term lease.
The machines themselves have become a product: Rollney franchises them at S$28,000 per unit, handling cleaning, maintenance and refills. There are 30 franchisees today and the network is on track to reach 50 machines by September. Servicing costs about S$6,000 per run for 12-15 machines, a fixed overhead that can be spread as the fleet grows.
Narresh also rents machines for corporate events and private functions, adding another income source. The model lets Rollney reach customers beyond malls, including at tourist spots and office lobbies. Franchisees gain an F&B foothold without kitchens or staffing headaches, while Rollney earns recurring service fees.
The chain’s speed shows in limited-edition products like the three-day “Milo Dinosaur Kurtos,” launched to coincide with National Day. Narresh said he starts with the occasion, picks flavours familiar to Singaporeans, then fast-tests combinations. Another example is the Kaya Toast Kurtos, blending Hokkaido ice cream with pandan kaya and sugar-breadcrumb crunch.
Rollney Malaysia, founded in 2017 by Tan Yee Ke, grew to 12 outlets across Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Perak by focusing on traditional brick-and-mortar stores. The Singapore operation, run separately under Narresh since January 2024, shows how a small dessert brand can scale by turning capital into flexible automation rather than fixed leases.
Related: Kuala Lumpur