There are many food & beverage (F&B) businesses in Malaysia and every business has a story to tell. Not all successful merchants have experienced an easy start. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these merchants suffered from losses while those who went digital had better luck.
We interviewed three popular local food enterprises that were not just determined to succeed but also had the courage to try various business models. This includes on-boarding with mobile food delivery platforms like ShopeeFood to bring a more convenient and rewarding experience for their customers. Lim Fried Chicken (LFC), Salad Atelier and Tiga Budak Gemok are just some of the many success stories who dared to innovate. Today, they are ready to share their experience for others to learn from.
Lim Fried Chicken (LFC)
One of Lim Fried Chicken’s outlet.
Lim Fried Chicken (LFC) started as a humble local fried chicken stall nearly 40 years ago. The founders started operating out of a small hawker stall in SS14, Subang Jaya selling fried chicken. In its initial days, there were times when they could not even sell a whole chicken.
But that did not deter the couple who were focused on their passion: to serve their customers a plate of hearty food. After 32 years of selling out of a small stall, LFC opened its first store in SS15, Subang Jaya in 2015 to serve customers better. Fast forward to today, LFC now has 15 outlets across Klang Valley.
The popular fried chicken merchant has been using ShopeeFood and ShopeePay for a year now. With more customers relying on food delivery services and being comfortable with cashless payment methods, it was timely for LFC to adapt digital technology as part of their business model.
“It has been a good experience incorporating digital platforms such as ShopeeFood and ShopeePay. The platform has helped our business by creating brand awareness to a bigger pool of customers to support local enterprise businesses like us,” shared Jordan Lim, son to the founder of LFC.
Founder of LFC, preparing LFC’s Signature Fried Chicken at his stall previously.
“LFC’s menu has remained true to flavour since we started. We are known for our Malaysian signature fried chicken flavour, LFC has other dishes too like Chee Cheong Fun, Sambal Sotong, Curry Mutton and Nasi Lemak. What matters to us is how LFC serves these dishes with the same passion and spirit as 39 years ago,” said Lim.
If you have yet to try one of LFC mouth-watering dishes, here are some favourites: LFC Signature Drumstick Rice & Vege, LFC Nasi Lemak Drumstick and Chee Cheong Fun with LFC Drumstick.
Store link: Lim Fried Chicken
Serving delicious fried chicken.
Salad Atelier
Salad Atelier interior
Salad Atelier has been bringing Malaysians healthy food options since 2014. Dylan Lee, the founder, decided to open the restaurant to help more members of the community cultivate sustainable yet healthy eating habits.
Today, the brand is working towards becoming a fully-fledged restaurant that offers a low-carbon diet (using sustainable products and ingredients that go through fewer processes in order to reduce overall carbon footprint). This is why at the heart of Salad Atelier’s menus are recipes that showcase the freshness and deliciousness of every ingredient.
Dylan Lee, Founder of Salad Atelier.
“Malaysians are often sceptical of dishes like ‘salad’ as our palate is accustomed to stronger local flavours. Which is why we made sure to introduce a combination of freshness and freedom to customise from over 80 ingredients and 25 different sauces,”
“I believe Malaysians have become more adaptable and open to our food style. Today, besides our salads, our customers also love us for the fact that we are affordable and quick. Besides that, we have also introduced newer flavours and textures from around the world to continuously innovate the flavours in our food,” shared Lee.
Besides educating people on the importance of healthy eating, Salad Atelier actively implements the use of 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle). This led to the brand to stop the use of plastic straws in 2017. Salad Atelier hopes to achieve a bigger goal of not just building healthier people but also a more sustainable environment for all.
The core belief of being sustainable is also what led to the brand embracing digital by on-boarding with food delivery platforms like ShopeeFood. According to Lee, with customers opting to order online, shops are able to reduce operations wastage besides reducing wait and driving times just to get food.
“Food delivery platforms provide customers convenience while for merchants it helps us to be more efficient in managing our stores and inventories. This helps everyone to live more sustainably,” he added.
If you are planning to give Salad Atelier a try, these are some of their signatures: DIY Salad, Chicken Aglio Olio and Meatless Bibim Poke.
Store Link: Salad Atelier
Tiga Budak Gemok
It’s all about great food at Tiga Budak Gemok.
Khairul Anuar Abu Bakar, General Manager (Finance & Operations) of the locally established food franchise, Tiga Budak Gemok, shared that since going digital, the family-owned food and franchising business has been able to better penetrate the market by reaching a wider target customer base.
“We started using ShopeeFood and ShopeePay since the platform was initiated. It was essential, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns for both business longevity and being profitable. Even now, in the post-pandemic period, having a presence on ShopeeFood has helped us grow awareness for our food selection and customers are keen to experiment with new flavours. Besides that, our customers are happier as they are able to transact in cashless methods from e-wallets to direct transfers,” added the 38-year old Khairul.
Tiga Budak Gemok’s Nasi Ayam Kicap with Sambal Gesek.
The company, which operates on a franchise model, are managed primarily by siblings; Natasha Helwa Ramlee, Muhammad Rafeel and Natalia Ramlee.
Their signature dish, Nasi Ayam Kicap with Sambal Gesek is a family favourite. It was a dish that their mother would cook for the siblings when they were young. As they grew older, the idea to share their favourite meal became a reality when they started selling under a tree in Wangsa Maju. The dish was so popular that in just over a year they were ready to expand from their humble beginning and open their first store in 2021. Currently, the local food enterprise has 18 stores throughout Klang Valley, Johor, Penang, Melaka and Perlis.
Curious? Try out their signature dish and other favourites too such as siput sedut lemak cili padi, sambal, snacks and more.
Store link: Tiga Budak Gemok
Check out December’s 12.12 promos and discounts from ShopeeFood and ShopeePay when ordering. Here’s what is in store:
ShopeeFood
● Free Delivery with RM0 min. spend.
● Discounts up to 50% OFF on selected merchants. Look out for these popular stores: ZUS Coffee, Thong Kee Cafe, Old Town White Coffee, Bubblebee, Hotpot Kitchen, Black Whale, Coolblog, Tea Garden, Little KL Food Hall, Tea Can Tin, Pop Meals, Kee Nguyen – Vietnam Coffee, Nasi Lemak Saleha and much more
● Shocking Sale at RM12 until the 12th December 2022. Here are some yummy merchants to try from Marrybrown, Neighbourhood Food Court Kota Damansara, Restoran Mariya, Nurich Cafe and Catering, King Tomyam Kitchen, MyLaksa, BMS Organics, Tiger Sugar, Sangkaya, Baskin-Robbins, HWC Coffee, JuiceLab and lots more. Be sure to check details on ShopeeFood app: https://shopeemy.onelink.me/356033421/cbsteheh
ShopeePay
● Get RM10 Cashback AND 500 Shopee Coins when you transfer with DuitNow min. RM50