Muhammad Dinie and Nur Khalidah, who previously worked as a firefighter and a bank officer, took a daring career decision when they quit their full-time jobs to open Official Street Burger.
What began as a part-time job to bolster their earnings finally paid off as their business grew from one to four locations and began to generate a five-figure income. Dinie and Khalidah’s friends and relatives were keen to join after seeing the success of the burger joint, and they now have over 110 stores around Johor.
Find out more about them in this exclusive interview with this duo Johor entrepreneurs.
When did you both feel that you needed to concentrate on this business full-time and even think of franchising your products?
After nine years of working at the fire department in Iskandar Puteri station, I decided to venture out and become a full-time entrepreneur shared Muhammad Dinie Mohamed, 31. At the time, we were handling 60 burger franchises and it was a bit of a struggle to juggle between my full-time job and managing this side business, therefore, I decided to leave my job in February 2021. I had sent my resignation letter twice before it was accepted. My superior was very impressed that I was willing to take a leap of faith and try something new.
Looking back to when we first started out this burger franchise, we had opened our first stall in Taman Universiti in 2014 with a capital of approximately RM3,000 from our savings. Our idea at the time was to look for an additional source of income, however, after a while, I realised that our business had the potential to make it big with proper planning.
In 2018, my wife, Nur Khalidah Zaidan, 30, had urged me to start our own brand and that is when Official Street Burger (OSB) first started. She had left her job as a bank officer of six years to help support the business. Many people thought that we were taking a major gamble as we both had stable jobs with a good income at that time. We had used our savings to start our business and with perseverance and patience, our business was able to experience positive growth. Thankfully, we then turned into a franchise model and expanded to 18 stalls that year. To date, we have 103 stalls all around Johor and Melaka.
I have personally frequented OSB burgers before, and there are definitely unique points that set this brand apart right from the choice of patties to a variety of local special orders and the black sweet sauce. What is the story behind these unique points and what inspired these unique points – a personal favourite or a family recipe?
Our patties and buns are in square shapes instead of the normal circle. The patties are a bit thicker and there are a variety of choices ranging from beef, lamb and chicken. The black sauce is originally our own signature recipe which complements all our menu items with its unique flavour that is suitable for all segments of customers. The same goes for our yellow mayonnaise. These ingredients are served together with fresh lettuce and cucumber to give a perfect experience and burst of flavour to the customers.
OSB stalls can be found almost anywhere in Johor, Melaka and even Kedah. Even when the pandemic hit the nation in 2020, it seems like there is no stopping for OSB to continue franchising. What do you think about the OSB franchising programme that attracts entrepreneurs to choose OSB?
The turning point for our business was when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was imposed in March 2020 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The number of entrepreneurs that had joined our franchise at that point had tripled. Our number of stalls had expanded to 60 compared to the 18 previously. Until today, our total outlets have reached 148 outlets in Johor, Melaka and Kedah.
Due to the pandemic, approximately 40% of Malaysians in their late 20s and early 40s had lost their jobs in Singapore but we are happy to share that our business was able to help these individuals.
Personally, I feel that entrepreneurs are attracted to our OSB franchising programme because of the flexibility that we provide in terms of running the stall and the operation hours. Secondly, the capital needed to start is also relatively low compared to other businesses out there. Especially with the pandemic and many losing their jobs, the OSB franchising programme is a good option for those looking for an alternate source of income.
Additionally, the OSB brand already has a loyal following, and entrepreneurs would not have to go through the hassle of building the image and creating awareness. Besides that, our stalls are listed on foodpanda and this has helped our business tremendously by increasing our sales.
What would help the growth of more franchises despite the pandemic?
Speaking based on personal experience, we were able to expand rapidly despite the pandemic because of the many opportunities that we saw and leveraged. One of the key opportunities we saw was the foodpanda platform. We were still able to receive many orders during the lockdown while Malaysians were urged to stay at home, and the delivery platform has helped support us and the other entrepreneurs tremendously.
Moving forward, I urge other franchises out there to also consider listing themselves on food delivery platforms and other digital options to be able to reach customers beyond their usual areas and maximise their sales.
OSB has even expanded to Melaka. With 130 stalls in hand, unique products and trained entrepreneurs under its umbrella, what is in the pipeline for OSB?
At the moment, we outsource most of our ingredients from a third party and have used a significant amount of burger patties as of September this year. With these very promising numbers, we hope to introduce our very own burger patties, bread and sauce to be used and channelled through our outlets.
Any advice for the hopeful and budding entrepreneurs especially when we are re-opening our economy safely?
While the restrictions may have loosened and many start to resume their usual daily routines, it is important for everyone to play a part in taking the necessary precautions. It is also important to be prepared to face any sort of circumstances and to be mentally and financially ready for your company’s growth and expansion plans, should the opportunity arise. Lastly, I do really hope we could enjoy our normal daily routines as before and run our business as per normal.
During your free time (if at all), how do you like to spend it?
During my free time, I love to read novels and watch movies but most of the time, I would spend it with my three children at home.
More information on Official Street Burger’s products, locations and programmes can be found on its Facebook page.
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