Cupcake fans form long queues as Singapore's Fluff Bakery opens in Malaysia
After tempting Malaysians with its pop-up events, popular Singapore dessert shop Fluff Bakery officially launched its first overseas outlet in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (29 July).
Fans of the shop, which is popular for its wide array of cupcakes, started queuing three hours before the store opened at 12pm. At the store located on Taman Tun Dr Ismail, an affluent township located 20 minutes outside the Kuala Lumpur city centre, each of the first 30 customers who arrived for the launch was handed a queue number to receive free cupcakes that came in boxes of six.
It has been a whirlwind journey for the Singaporean owner – Nursyazanna Syaira Md Suhimi, fondly known as Syaira – to finally fulfil her dream of expanding her dessert business. The 30-year-old had been toying with the idea of opening a store in Malaysia for over a year. “It’s a goal that has been accomplished, and yet it feels really overwhelming because it’s never easy to start over again in a market where you don’t really know anyone or the market share,” she said.
“One of the biggest challenges was finding the right ingredients because Singapore has this big baking store which sells everything that you need. Whereas in Malaysia, there are little tiny shops which sell different things with different quality and prices, so it was really a struggle for us in the beginning. But, for now, we are delighted to have found suitable suppliers,” added Syaira, who founded Fluff Bakery at Jalan Pisang with her husband Ashraf Alami, 36, in 2012.
The brand has been garnering a large following in Singapore since its debut, attracting long queues and selling out cupcakes within hours. Among the brand’s followers are Malaysians Alia Ishak, 29, her husband Aiman Syed Jaafar, 31, and popular Malaysian entrepreneur Nina Sabrina Ismail Sabri, 30, who are the business partners who have helped with the brand’s expansion.
Former cafe owners Alia and Aiman reached out to Syaira via email expressing their interest to set up a Fluff Bakery outlet in Kuala Lumpur, to which Syaira immediately agreed.
Nina, who currently runs two business – Peterana Kindergarten and hair salon Capello by Nina – was soon roped in.
Behind the fluff
Identifying the location was the most crucial part of the expansion, according to Syaira.
“I wanted somewhere with a great mixture of residential and commercial so we can get a good crowd on weekdays and even weekends. As a Singaporean, I’m familiar with the Bangsar area as it is really ‘happening’ and jam-packed, but the rental rates are crazy.
“Luckily, we found a unit in TTDI – we are really happy with this place. It has good energy, and the rental is quite reasonable for us,” she said.
It took four months of intense planning and renovating to complete the cosy mint themed bakery. The partners invested RM300,000 (S$95,000) to set up the outlet. They are looking to break even within a year.
Prior to its soft launch during the month of Ramadan this year, all of the partners who are in their early 30s decided to organise a series of pop-up events earlier this year to familiarise Malaysians with the quirky novelty cupcake flavours.
Fluff Bakery KL’s team of six bakers bake some 700 cupcakes each day, all of which sell out before closing time. Each cupcake is priced at RM8.50 (S$2.70).
Syaira shared that she struggled with managing the administrative side of things, such as handling the Employment’s Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (SOSCO) of her employees.
The baker advised those who wish to set a business overseas to conduct extensive research beforehand and find suitable partners in order to get a strong foothold in a new country.
“As an SME, opening a business overseas can be challenging. You have to do your research before thinking you’re okay to start your business. Even like paying our bakers and staff, there are the EPF and SOCSO which are totally different from how we do it in Singapore,” described Syaira.
What sets Fluff Bakery apart are their peculiar artisanal flavours. For instance, when one thinks about olive oil and rosemary, they sound like ingredients to make pasta. Syaira, meanwhile, has concocted a Rosemary, Olive Oil and Orange cake. She enjoys experimenting with new flavours and wants her customers to enjoy a wholesome gastronomic experience.
“It’s actually really moist with a hint of mint, but the rosemary takes a step back as a subtle flavour. People are still scared to try new things, but we hope to introduce more flavours so they will be more adventurous. For example, one of our cupcake flavours is Chocolate Potato Chips and Banana. Over at Fluff, we like to be known as that rustic bakery that’s not afraid to try new things,” she quipped.
Syaira observes that her Singaporean and Malaysian customers share similar tastes when it comes to her cupcakes. They prefer to go for Fluff’s authentic yet safe flavours such as Bandung, Triple Milo and Ferrero Rocher, rather than her more elaborate cupcakes.
Syaira has plans to open another outlet in Malaysia, but it will not be anytime soon. She also hopes to open an outlet in Jakarta, but first she wants to achieve another dream of hers – enrolling in a prestigious culinary academy.
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