PETALING JAYA, Aug 7 — Ever wonder what goes on behind closed (kitchen) doors of all the independent cafés and restaurants popping up all over the Klang Valley?

What makes one decide one day to quit the rat race and start making crêpes with local ingredients such as gula Melaka and salted egg yolk or craft delicate latte art on every cup of Third Wave Coffee?

Discover this and more at A Pinch of Salt, a monthly knowledge sharing event organised by The Good Food Alliance (GFA), a group of like-minded Malaysian food and beverage (F&B) business owners.

'A Pinch of Salt' is a monthly knowledge sharing event organised by The Good Food Alliance (GFA) for Malaysian food and beverage business owners.
'A Pinch of Salt' is a monthly knowledge sharing event organised by The Good Food Alliance (GFA) for Malaysian food and beverage business owners.

According to GFA member Hai Lin Lee, co-owner of The Red Beanbag, the event was created with the intention of sharing experiences and stories of the F&B world as customers, employees and owners to inspire and motivate one another to grow further despite being small players in the industry.

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“All of us who are involved in A Pinch of Salt are friends and restaurant/café owners,” says Lin Lee. “We have created a network amongst ourselves to brainstorm solutions for problems we face or ideas on how to improve. It's a bit like a support group. Our GFA Whatsapp chat-room includes supplier lists, exchanges on 'how is business today?', general rants and even SOS calls!”

A Pinch of Salt will feature a panel of local independent F&B business owners — myBurgerlab, Strangers at 47, The Kitchen Table, The Red Beanbag, and Yellow Brick Road — sharing their thoughts on various topics that should interest restaurateurs, café owners and others from the F&B industry.

The Red Beanbag (left) and Strangers at 47 (right) are two of the local independent food businesses on the panel of 'A Pinch of Salt.'
The Red Beanbag (left) and Strangers at 47 (right) are two of the local independent food businesses on the panel of 'A Pinch of Salt.'

The discussions will begin with RenYi from myBurgerlab who will present a Social Media 101 session titled “'Like' us on FB.” Sean Ooi and Lim Sing Yi from Strangers at 47 will talk about their take on customer service, specifically how to turn strangers into friends.

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The Kitchen Table's Marcus Low and Mei Wan Tan will share on their journey from a supper club to a restaurant and bakery. Lastly, Lee Yew Kheong and Hai Lin Lee of brunch hotspots The Red Beanbag and Yellow Brick Road fame will head a session appropriately named “Breakfast for Champions: Nurturing a winning team.”

“In terms of participant take-away after attending the session, I'd be happy If we manage to inspire or help another F&B business owner in any way at all,” says Lin Lee. “Be it making them feel like they're not alone in this crazy industry, or giving them a solution to a problem they are facing – sharing is caring!”

While admission to the event is free, seats are limited. Those who are interested may register here