Author’s Propaganda: MCO has spawned a lot of new entrepreneurs, especially in the food and beverage industry. Starting a home business has become easier now when combined with the abundance of courier services and online marketplaces like Requirements or Good finds.
What began as a shared love of fried chicken between two friends quickly turned into a business based on Southern fried chicken. Initially, Shafiq and Yohan treated it as a side venture with potentially zero income, and it started with just RM1,000 capital for research and development on the kitchen of the former home.
After 3 months of mastering the yogurt recipe, they are ready to bring their products to the market. Unfortunately for them, COVID-19 cases have been rising domestically in 2020, and MCO has been announced.
“Earlier we planned to do popups from March onwards and decided that because everyone should be home, so why not launch it as a home delivery?” Shafiq summoned to Vulcan Post. Subsequently, Fullboys It was launched on the same day the nation saw our first lockdown on March 18, 2020.
Is it another brand of fried chicken?
The decision to venture into FOWLBOYS is revealed upon Yohan’s return from a family trip in Melbourne and Sydney. There, two pioneers discovered Southern-style fried chicken eating that sparked inspiration.
A passionate home cook and former event management consultant, Johan pitched his idea to Shafiq and they found an opportunity in the market. Fried chicken sells well in Malaysia, but there are a lot of them that focus on fast food and Korean styles.
“We saw a hiatus in the southern fried chicken market. Yogurt is a staple of Southern tradition, so it was natural to start with fried chicken curdled with yogurt,” explained Shafiq, who heads the brand’s marketing with his background in fashion retail marketing.
Together, they came up with ways to make FOWLBOYS apart from many of the ready-to-eat chicken products on the market.
First comes their product mix; On top of the emphasis on the buttermilk marinade, their dishes are sold as sandwiches rather than bone products (think KFC). “From a marketing perspective, a chicken sandwich is a more complete meal experience than fried chicken,” Shafiq added.
The tone used in marketing FOWLBOYS on social media is also a standout for them, casual and friendly with a hint of humor. Customers are called “Cluckers,” the sandwich is called “Motherclucker,” and “Cluck Off” is stamped on each paper bag.
“We are unapologetically cheeky.” Shafiq commented, “You probably won’t find this one of our more accurate counterparts.
With a limited capital of RM1,000, the team’s decision to sell the fried chicken sandwiches is two-fold. On top of marketing, they had practical reasons to give up bone-in chicken products, too.
Bone chicken will take up more storage space in the home freezer, and cannot hold large quantities in the small pan. Shafiq noted that “the time for frying chicken with the bone is much longer than the boneless thigh slices that we use.”
“So from an operations and financing standpoint, it made sense to start with sandwiches. The cost of the equipment alone for frying chicken into the bone would be much higher as well.”
The power of word of mouth
Like any home business, sales started with friends and family to spread the word about FOWLBOYS and their products. From there, sales grew naturally, from selling 30 sandwiches a day the first week, to 40 the next day, and so on. By the end of 2020 MCO in May, the partners were selling 100 sandwiches per day.
“We focused on marketing ourselves Instagram And we found that most of our customers were sharing their meals in their stories. We really have the best clients because they’ve done most of the marketing for us – we didn’t spend a single penny on social media ads until after so long, ”Shafiq told Vulcan Post.
With sufficient revenues since its launch a year ago, FOWLBOYS is looking forward to an expected RM150,000 spend for its next store. The initial plan was to open a small store in Mont Chiara, but they have since figured out a lot for a good bargain. Shafiq and Johan expanded their plan and reached a small restaurant that seats up to 25 people.
They will use a larger portion of the plot to make it a central kitchen support their other cloud kitchen in Monte Kiara. “As much as we believe in the lean business model of ghost kitchens, you can’t deny the fact that the indoor dining experience is still important to the longevity of the brand,” said Shafiq.
minimum: It’s worth noting that FOWLBOYS isn’t the only brand of Southern-style fried chicken domestically. Another you found, South fried chicken It also serves them, even as a sandwich. However, it is far from a saturated market, and I think Shafiq and Yohan’s business has the potential to move forward, especially with its loyal fan base that has grown over the past year.
Featured Image Credit: FOWLBOYS
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