MUAR, July 30 — From a street stall with an initial profit of RM20, Muiz Hot Chicken has trailblazed, building a viable business that now has over 180 stalls and five restaurant outlets, with total sales reaching RM45 million to date.

Its founder Muhamad Muizzuddin Remle, 33, who hails from Parit Raja here, said his determination does not end there, as he aims to penetrate the international market by opening branches in Brunei and Singapore in the near future.

He said the plan is designed to ensure that his business, which began in 2013 and sold an estimated 1.14 million pieces of fried chicken nationwide, continues to expand.

“The first step in our plan is to attend events such as food festivals in both countries this year first, to see how the market and reception for Muiz Hot Chicken will fare,” he told Bernama when met at Muiz Hot Chicken, Pagoh Jaya, here recently.

He also plans to open a sixth restaurant outlet, the first in Sungai Merab, Bangi, Selangor, to have a drive-through facility, serving over 10 set menus such as fried chicken, nasi lemak, burgers, and porridge, similar to other Muiz Hot Chicken restaurants.

Muhamad Muizzuddin said his business journey began with gaining experience working at his aunt’s stall as a beverage attendant, before being entrusted with managing the fried chicken sales department.

He then bravely opened a small street stall on his own, named “Crispy Fried Chicken”, on the sidewalk of Jalan Temenggong Ahmad, Parit Raja, using his aunt’s recipe, before cooking his own mix and rebranding it to Muiz Hot Chicken.

It is the ingredients used, including quality spices for delicious fried chicken, that make Muiz Hot Chicken a popular choice among customers, he said, adding that being picky about taste is thrown into the mix.

“It took me eight months to refine the recipe to my own taste, as I am a bit fussy about food. So, probably the first thing that makes people buy our fried chicken again and again boils down to the quality ingredients that we use,” he said. 

Muhamad Muizzuddin said his business is mostly self-funded, with additional loan assistance from the Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (Tekun Nasional) and the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara).

Sharing the ups and downs in his business journey, Muhamad Muizzuddin said the meagre RM20 profit at the beginning almost made him give up, adding that tribulations such as a car accident three years ago did little to deter his drive. 

“The car was almost a ‘total loss’, but thankfully my wife and I were not injured. Although I actually was down as it involved my whole savings (to buy a car), I learned that God actually wants to touch people’s hearts, to let go and not attach to anything beyond Him,” he said.

He said his business then flourished, including receiving accolades from Mara, namely the Food and Beverage Industry Entrepreneur Icon Award, as well as the Youth Entrepreneur Excellent Award from Halal Development Corporation Bhd.

In this regard, he advised young entrepreneurs, especially, to always be patient and maintain a deep interest before deciding to venture into any business field. — Bernama