[4] In 1998, the market closed down, so the stall relocated to Far East Square and was renamed Ya Kun Kaya Toast;[5][7] the following year, Ah Koon died and his youngest son, Loi Boon Sim Adrin (黎文深),[2][9] took over the business,[7] determined "to keep his father's legacy going".

[7] Realising that Ya Kun had a lot of goodwill and potential,[2] Adrin decided to expand the business, the family opened a second store at Tanjong Pagar and, in 2000, began franchising the brand.

[15][16] Unlike their main competitors, they have a limited menu that revolves around their core product, kaya toast,[15] with cheese, peanut butter and ice cream as alternative spreads for their thin, brown, crispy bread.

[7] The chain are "widely regarded as an institution of good kaya toast"[18] and "a Singaporean cultural icon"[10] that the Singapore Tourism Board has promoted as a tourist attraction.

[6] Their corporate culture is conservative and people-centric,[17] with emphasis on preserving their brand identity as their chengnuo (承诺, "commitment" or "promise") to their customers,[4][11][13][15] sustainable growth over actively pursuing new opportunities,[5][15] nurturing family-like relationships among staff (they do not fire or retrench workers)[17] and avoiding aggressive conflict with competitors.