BROTHERS Waie Ramly Tajuddin, Andak Tajuddin and Syazman Tajuddin were working as graphic designer, event planner and wedding emcee when Covid-19 struck, rendering the siblings jobless and struggling to make a living.
Tired of waiting for better times, the eldest, Waie, suggested that they try their luck selling chicken rice that their mother used to make while they were growing up.
The siblings felt that it was a good idea to start a food business during the pandemic time but there was a problem – none of them knew how to cook chicken rice.
“We were completely clueless on how to prepare the meal and did not know anything about cooking. We also did not have the capital to start the business. So, we took lessons on how to prepare the meal from our mother and that’s how we started,” he said.
When they opened their corner shop at Felda Bukit Cerakah, they realised that there were so many items that they needed such as a refrigerator.
“Realising how important that is for a food business, we borrowed one from a friend with the plans to buy one when we were better settled in this business.” He added that the chicken rice is cooked and delivered on the same day to ensure its freshness.
All businesses have their ups and downs and the siblings soon found that they had to learn how to do business the hard way.
“Our biggest loss was when almost 200 chickens that we had bought were spoilt as we did not store them properly. We had to just throw them away. We were barely even making a profit when it happened so you can imagine how we felt,” he said.
“After the incident, we sought the advice from friends who worked as chefs on how to best store food so that it does not spoil easily. Until then we did not know there were special techniques to store chicken,” Syazman admitted.
Instead of just waiting for customers to come to them, the siblings decided to be more strategic in their business approach. They introduced the profit-sharing concept by appointing several agents at certain areas such as Rawang, Gombak, Klang, Sijangkang, Kajang and Pajam.
When there are orders in a particular area, they will deliver the food to the agents who will then sell or distribute the food.
With this concept, the siblings were able to make more sales and allow their agents and runners to also make some money.
The sibling’s motive to introduce Go-Lek Chicken Rice is not just for their survival alone during the trying times of the pandemic. It is also to continue the legacy of their mother’s traditional recipe and to bring back the spirit and memory of their late father who was one of the first individuals to sell ayam golek in Klang.
“I had once dreamed of opening a restaurant selling the chicken rice. When my eldest brother called us to work together to do this with our mother’s recipe, I readily agreed,” Andak said.
Their business slowly picked up and just when the siblings were able to breathe a sigh of relief, life threw them a curveball. They found out that their brother Waie Ramly was infected by the Covid-19 virus.
“The first seven days, he was okay but then he developed a fever and was had breathing difficulties. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance but he succumbed to the illness and died in July last year,” he said.
Their brother’s death heavily impacted Andak and Syazman. They not only lost a brother but also their business manager who handled all the business accounts and entire management. But they did not want to quit after coming so far.
“We did not know a lot of things which we left to our older brother to handle so when he left us too soon, we were quite shaken. But now, I am learning by going for classes that teach business,” he said.
Despite only being a year in the business, Go-lek Chicken Rice already has its following. The brothers also introduced new menu such as Jerky Duck Rice, Nasi Puyuh, Chicken Bowl porridge, Ceker soup and tauhu tempe.
To support this business, visit their shop at Lot 1181 Jalan Bukit Cerakah, Kampung Bukit Kapar, Selangor or visit https://nasiayamgolek.maynuu.com to place your order. – The Vibes, August 25, 2021
#PetraKasih is an initiative under the Vinod Sekhar Foundation to assist and promote food stalls and small traders, including home-based businesses, during the pandemic. Each week, Getaran will highlight the plight of different food traders. If you know a food stall or small trader in your area and feel they deserve to be featured, contact us at [email protected].
*This story first appeared in our Malay-language sister portal Getaran.
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