Hanz, a 19-year-old film student at Temasek Polytechnic, and his friends Irfan and Qusyairi are the co-owners of Berjaya Western, a halal Western stall located in Yishun.
Beyond their F&B venture, the trio also run a media production company, which gave them opportunities to network within the F&B industry. Through these connections, they worked with a former hotel chef to develop their menu, refine their pricing strategy, and research and develop the dishes they sell today.
Despite being only one month into the business, it appears that Hanz and his friends have found the perfect recipe to marketing their brand.
They started with digital marketing, with their first Instagram video racking up around 250,000 views.
“That night itself, I decided to post on TikTok as well — because why not? While I was working at the cashier, a lot of customers told me they came from TikTok. By the end of the day, I checked the stats and [our video] had already hit 180,000 views within a few hours,” says Hanz.
Qusyairi adds, “One viral video is definitely not enough. We have to keep up with trends, and our content has to be relatable to the audience.”
To reach older customers, the trio also turn to offline marketing, distributing physical flyers and even going door-to-door in the neighbourhood — all in pursuit of their long-term goal of building a larger Western food chain.