Kopi Royale Johor Targets Cafe Opening After Hitting Record Sales Over Three Days
By Nur Fatin Mohmad Kadenen
JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Kopi Royale Johor founder, Nurul Afiqah Mazalan, plans to expand the business by opening a cafe within the next three years, having sold over 5,000 cups of traditional local coffee in just three days.
The milestone was achieved during a sales tour in Muar, Johor, demonstrating the appeal of traditional local coffee among enthusiasts.
Kopi Royale Johor currently operates in Johor from a stall in Bandar Seri Alam, and at two universities in Pasir Gudang and a shopping mall in Kota Tinggi through a collaboration with a food enterprise.
Nurul Afiqah said her next goal was to establish a cafe serving not only local coffee but also a variety of food and pastries.
“Perhaps in three years. We are currently in the process of raising capital,” she told Bernama, adding that she also regularly participated in sales events at various programmes.
The entrepreneur hopes to see the local coffee brand, which she founded with her husband, Mohammad Fazarikman Mohd Faudzi, grow from a stall frequented by customers from Brunei and Singapore into a brand that can compete with other coffee-based cafes in Malaysia.
Nurul Afiqah said one of Kopi Royale Johor’s distinctive features is its traditional coffee, adapted to suit contemporary tastes using robusta coffee beans from Indonesia, which are then processed at a local factory.
Apart from its distinctive flavour, the drinks stand out for their relatively large cup sizes and affordable prices, ranging from RM4 to RM14.
Nurul Afiqah said the business offered a variety of drinks and introduced seasonal menus to showcase different coffee creations, supported by research and development.
“We currently have six types of drinks, with variations mainly in the toppings. We also introduce seasonal coffee series.
“We create new menus every month or two, such as the Butterscotch Dalgona seasonal drink launched this month,” said the mother of one.
For now, she is focused on strengthening the brand and establishing a solid business base in Johor before expanding to other states, while maintaining affordable prices.
Nurul Afiqah said she and her husband ventured into the business after they were stranded in Singapore for two years following the COVID-19 movement control order (MCO).
She worked in quality assurance and quality control, while her husband was employed in the warehouse department of a health food company in Singapore.
The couple eventually decided to return to Malaysia and start a food business before venturing into beverages in January 2023, with initial capital of more than RM1,000 and no loans.
Nurul Afiqah said social media platforms such as TikTok had played a major role in her branding efforts and in introducing the business to a wider audience.
She said the digital marketing strategy had paid off after one of her videos went viral, attracting 12.1 million views.
“The viral video helped boost views on my other videos as well. Most of my content involves interacting with customers.
“People began arriving in large numbers, perhaps intrigued by our conversations and the amusing reactions we share,” said Nurul Afiqah, who now has more than 121,800 followers on the platform.
-- BERNAMA