Petaling Jaya, 31 July 2024
Nor Arieni Adriena Mohd Ritzal’s love for food began when she was a child, learning the ropes alongside her mother and grandmother in the kitchen.
Today, the 33-year-old heads the Gula Cakery Group, an F&B chain boasting at least 15 cafés and restaurants across the Klang Valley and in Melaka.
The flagship is, of course, Gula Cakery, which she started in 2015. It currently has three outlets in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, as well as several offshoots: among them Gula Petite by Gula Cakery, Andra by Gula Cakery, Malaiqa by Gula Cakery, and Gula Creamery.
This year alone, Arieni launched Gula Cakery Petite at Suria KLCC, and the Mexican-themed El Ocho x MN Coffee in Melaka – within just two months!
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Arieni said she never imagined she would reach such heights, and shared more about how she built her business from the bottom up.
Arieni primarily credits her grandmother for nurturing her culinary passions, which led her to try her hand at making brownies when she was just 20.
I started baking during a time when brownies were such a big thing,
she recalled. It was fun, but also exhausting:
I would often sleep next to the oven at home without realising it, until I burnt a whole batch!
From there, she tried her hand at cakes and discovered she had quite the knack for it. In 2015, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education – and, that same year, opened her first Gula Cakery outlet in Kota Kemuning, Selangor.
I think what gave me the confidence to take the big step were the loyal customers of my home business,
she said.
I wanted to operate from a bigger space and it was always my dream to run a cosy café.
One of the pivotal moments for Gula Cakery was being the recipient of Teraju Superb 2015 – a whopping RM500,000 grant provided by the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit – just a month after the outlet had opened.
This not only propelled Gula Cakery’s success but also confirmed to Arieni that she was on to something, as she was the only F&B winner among numerous tech-related pitches.
It’s crazy, but from there I just said, let’s do more!
To develop her culinary skills, Arieni went on to study in Paris and Italy, as well as the Malaysian Institute of Baking.
Roti Jala and more
To date, she has created over 200 flavours of cake, and has added a wide range of delectable pastries and desserts to the menus at her establishments.
But her talents extend well beyond desserts: during the pandemic, she began taking orders from home, cooking large batches of her grandmother’s roti jala with chicken curry.
This eventually led to the launch of Arieni’s Roti Jala, a premium concept store located at Ardence Labs in Setia Alam.
I love trying out different concepts, because I have so much love for food,
Arieni said, adding:
What’s special about our roti jala is that you can also have it with our bestselling Serawa Durian, made with D24 durian.
At many of her eateries, you can also enjoy hearty meals such as pastas and burgers – though don’t be surprised to find they have been given a local twist!
I tweak the menus to suit Malaysian taste buds,
Arieni pointed out. For example, you may find spaghetti masak lemak cili padi at Andra by Gula Cakery, or pulled beef rendang tacos at El Ocho.
This enterprising mother of three believes she couldn’t have come this far without her family’s support.
I didn’t expect to grow my business to this extent, but I just kept on going without giving up,
she concluded.
And looking back now, it’s such a beautiful journey.
Source : Free Malaysia Today
Full Article : https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2024/07/31/how-gula-cakery-went-from-home-kitchen-to-flourishing-franchise/
