The Journey of HWC Coffee Malaysia, from Nasi Lemak to Coffee Empire - Cari Makan Podcast (English)

In this episode we sat down with Zenda Ng, CEO of HWC Coffee. She started HWC Coffee three and a half years ago, and the company now has 80 outlets across Malaysia and two international outlets at Brunei. Zenda shares her extensive 18-year journey in the F&B industry, detailing how she started as a reseller of cookies at age 11, then began producing her own, and later ran her first halal restaurant. This entrepreneurial journey led to her co-founding HWC Coffee in 2022, opening 15 outlets within the first nine months. Chapters1:33 - Welcome to Cari Makan Podcast1:56 - Introducing Zenda, CEO of HWC Coffee2:48 - Background Before HWC: 18+ Years in the Halal F&B Industry4:14 - Starting as a Reseller of Cookies at Age 114:50 - Producing and Selling Cookies at the Pasar by Age 136:57 - Academic Journey: Diploma in Business in Singapore7:58 - Working Full-Time (New Zealand Milk) and Studying Part-Time in Singapore8:36 - F&B Roles in Singapore: Five-Star Hotel and Food Courts (Western, Japanese Food)10:17 - Deciding to Start Own Business in Malaysia Before Age 3010:35 - Giving Up High-Paying Corporate Job11:50 - The Two-Year Deadline and Singapore Backup Plan12:17 - First Restaurant Concept: Halal-Certified Malaysian Local Food14:18 - Opening the Second Outlet: The Toughest Challenge17:21 - Surviving the Second Outlet Challenge Leads to Growth (Third, Fourth Outlets)17:41 - MCO Hits the Business19:30 - Diversifying Revenue with Catering Business21:03 - MCO Impact22:50 - Closing Outlets and Relying on the Central Kitchen23:23 - Emotional Sharing: The Challenge of the Journey24:31 - Leadership: Accepting Staff Strengths, Weaknesses, and Mistakes25:14 - The Pivot During MCO: Starting Nasi Lemak Distribution (RM 1.30 per packet)26:28 - HWC Founder Approaches Zenda to Start the Coffee Business (2021)27:52 - HWC Coffee's Launch: First Outlet in 1 Utama (April 2022)29:20 - Fast Growth: 15 Outlets in 9 Months, Plus 35 Outlets in the Second Year29:38 - Success Factor: Post-MCO Consumer Desire for Quality Products (Specialty Coffee)30:54 - Subscription Model Explained: Becoming a "Coffee Hunter" through the App32:15 - Market Change: The Impact of AI in F&B (Design, Location Finding, Customer Analysis)33:41 - Biggest Challenge in F&B: Competition35:07 - Future Plans for HWC: Opening More Outlets to Improve Accessibility for Subscribers37:34 - Future of Catering Business: Expanding to Other States Beyond Klang Valley39:06 - Entrepreneurial Tips: People, Product (Important, but Not Everything), and Business Model39:29 - Business Model Differentiates You from Competitors39:49 - Good Food is Not Enough for Business Success40:10 - Speaking at Food Print Expo: Sharing Motivation and Realities of F&B Journey41:52 - Mantra: If There's a Will, There's a Way42:16 - Appreciation for the Candid Sharing and Journey42:41 - Zenda is a Speaker at the FoodPreneur Expo43:09 - FoodPreneur Expo Details43:39 - Outro and Call to Action_____________________________________________________________Kisah sebenar disebalik industri F&B dan bagaimana mereka "Cari Makan" bersama Rhys William (Mat Salleh Cari Makan), Founder MSCM Studios 🎙️🍛 Available in Bahasa Melayu and English_____________________________________________________________HWC MALAYSIAhttps://www.hwccoffee.my/https://www.instagram.com/hwc_malaysia/https://www.tiktok.com/@hwccoffeemyhttps://www.facebook.com/HWCmalaysia/_____________________________________________________________FoodPreneur Expo 2025https://foodicious.com.my/foodpreneur https://www.instagram.com/foodpreneur.expohttps://www.tiktok.com/@foodpreneur.expohttps://www.facebook.com/foodpreneurexpo_____________________________________________________________Cari Makan PodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/carimakanpodcast TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@carimakanpodcast _____________________________________________________________