[This is a sponsored article with Winner Foods Consolidated.]
It was the early Eighties, and Madam Loh Ah Heng was a housewife with an entrepreneurial drive. She needed to earn a aspect revenue to offer her youngsters a greater life and future.
Whereas fast-food fried rooster manufacturers had been round on the time, she observed that fried rooster within the hawker scene was nearly non-existent.
The prospects to start out one had been promising, as fried rooster was easy to make, and she or he might open a hawker stall though she had restricted capital.
So, she arrange a stall at a kopitiam in Kampung Simee, Ipoh.
Quick ahead 36 years later, the model, Winner’s Fried Hen (WFC), remains to be sustainable and operates as a model licensing mannequin.
Now run by Marcus Liew, he’s the second-generation Managing Director who’s been concerned within the enterprise for greater than 15 years. The model presently has over 50 energetic licensees.
From a aspect hustle to licensor
“It was very powerful for her to start with as she would begin early within the day to chop and clear a minimum of 20 to 30 contemporary uncooked chickens despatched to her home,” Marcus recounted, including that his mum would do all that by herself, on prime of home chores.
Happily, the grind paid off as gross sales had been brisk. Over a brief interval, her fried rooster stall constructed a reputation for itself.
Many purchasers had been complimenting the fried rooster’s distinct style, even evaluating Madam Loh’s WFC to the likes of KFC’s or A&W’s, Marcus shared.
His mum would additionally obtain inquiries from prospects on how they might begin a hawker enterprise themselves.
So, on July 8, 1987, Winner’s Fried Hen Sdn Bhd (now generally known as Winner Meals Consolidated Sdn Bhd) was integrated to develop the enterprise.
Decreasing the barrier to entry
The enterprise developed in two areas: as a producer to supply the fried rooster flour, and as a licensor of WFC hawker stalls.
Primarily concentrating on potential hawker operators, the concept was to make it much less intimidating for micro-entrepreneurs to start out a enterprise, as WFC’s licensing price is about at RM300.
“Everybody can begin a fried rooster enterprise simply with a identified model,” Marcus said. In spite of everything, WFC is constructed on three pillars—being reasonably priced, easy, and versatile.
WFC’s mannequin achieves simplicity by offering licensees with a frying information and fried rooster flour, whereas its flexibility lies in permitting licensees to customize the methods they promote their merchandise.
“For instance, licensees can use completely different strategies of frying the rooster (utilizing their very own marinade, double coating, egg coating, and so forth.), they’ll supply their very own uncooked provides, promote different meals objects, and set their very own promoting costs,” Marcus elaborated.
There aren’t any KPIs set for licensees both.
All WFC needs is for licensees to make a residing from this enterprise, they usually can proceed to take action for so long as they please.
Marcus shared that some profitable licensees have been working their companies for greater than 20 years now, with lots of them making between RM8,000 to RM15,000 in income monthly.
“A few of them have second generations taking up, and their operations are doing even higher,” he stated.
A profitable idea
However why is Winner Meals so keen about empowering micro-entrepreneurs?
“It’s as a result of the founders began as hawkers themselves with very tight capital they usually know the way powerful it was working a hawker enterprise. So, if WFC’s hawker licensing idea generally is a platform that may assist hawker operators earn a residing, then it’s actually price it,” Marcus advised Vulcan Publish.
So far, WFC has about 50 stalls scattered round most Malaysian states, with two of them working as meals vehicles.
The model is now trying into world growth offers, they usually’ve already opened a WFC stall in Singapore.
They’ve additionally collaborated with an Asian eatery in Perth, Australia, and intend to make extra related offers to construct WFC’s presence abroad.
Moreover, the model’s fried rooster flour (Unique and Scorching & Spicy recipe) is presently offered on-line on Shopee, Lazada, and Halal Meals Grasp, so that customers can fry up their very own WFC dishes at dwelling. The merchandise can be made obtainable in a significant retailer quickly.
Over the previous few many years WFC has been operational, the model has gained a few enterprise awards through the years, together with the Sin Chew Enterprise Excellence Awards 2020 within the Enterprise Sustainability Excellence Class, in addition to the SME Affiliation of Malaysia Platinum Enterprise Awards 2022 within the Product Excellence Class.
WFC has additionally been awarded a four-star ranking for the SME Competitiveness Score for Enhancement (SCORE) programme by SME Company Malaysia in 2023.
Regardless of the saturated marketplace for fried rooster choices in Malaysia and even world wide, WFC appears to have discovered its area of interest in supporting and increase micro-entrepreneurs.
Study extra about Winner Meals Consolidated right here.
Examine different Malaysian F&B manufacturers right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Picture Credit score: Winner Meals Consolidated