From roadside stall to three branches: SugarCandy's sweet success story

Tengku Nurul Iman Alianna Tengku Ali Sha, now 34, has built the local dessert brand SugarCandy from humble beginnings into a recognized name in Malaysia. Her journey began at 17, selling cakes from home and eventually by the roadside near her school to earn extra income while studying business.

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At first, I made cakes for family and friends, then I started uploading pictures on Facebook. When many people asked and wanted to buy, I immediately took the opportunity to sell on a small scale by the roadside.

Initially baking for family and friends, Tengku Alianna saw an opportunity when demand grew through social media. She started selling about 200 cupcakes daily, generating RM800 a day. These earnings were reinvested into buying an oven, renting a commercial kitchen, and eventually offering small-scale cake decorating classes.

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At that time, I produced 200 cupcakes every day and could generate RM800 a day. It was from those sales that I saved little by little to buy an oven, rent a special kitchen space, and eventually open small-scale cake decorating classes.

Five years into the business, SugarCandy's operations were professionalized with the partnership of Megat Amir Danish Amir Noor Rashid, who serves as Sales and Marketing Director. A significant challenge arose when the brand expanded too rapidly, opening six branches in two years during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. While sales were strong during MCO, managing six branches proved difficult, with some branches operating at a loss and requiring subsidies from others.

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During the MCO, our sales were very encouraging, and we had additional capital. We logically thought that if we had six branches, income would increase sixfold. However, six branches meant six times the problems to manage.

After two years, a strategic decision was made to downsize to three main branches in Wangsa Maju and Shah Alam. This move proved successful, stabilizing operations and maintaining previous revenue levels. SugarCandy is also known for its iconic '2 Cakes for RM100' promotion, which has been running since 2020. Tengku Alianna emphasizes that despite rising ingredient costs, such as cocoa powder doubling in price, they refuse to compromise on taste and quality, as customers expect a certain standard. This commitment to affordability stems from her own childhood experience of never having a birthday cake.

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Some branches recorded negative cash flow, forcing others to subsidize them. After two years of perseverance, we decided to downsize operations and maintain the three main branches. That move brought relief, and our revenue remained the same as before.