Secret Recipe

July 28, 2020

Datuk Steven Sim, Group CEO of Secret Recipe Cakes & Café Sdn Bhd, opened the first Secret Recipe café in 1997 in SS2 Petaling Jaya with his three nephews who were qualified bakers. He noticed the lack of casual lifestyle dining cafes in the local scene at that time and left his job as a Marketing Director in a multinational company to venture into the F&B business. It was a runaway franchise success locally. It expanded first into Singapore and then into ASEAN and China. In 2007 Secret Recipe Cakes & Cafe garnered the International Franchisor of The Year award by Franchising and Licensing Association Singapore. The company has also been recognised as the Largest Café Chain by the Malaysia Book of Records.

Secret Recipe ventured into Australia in 2010 but not long after found the market there too challenging and the business went into administration. According to its website www.secretrecipe.com.my Secret Recipe currently operates 380 outlets to date across the region including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Brunei, Maldives and Bangladesh.  the leading and largest café chain in Malaysia, Secret Recipe grew rapidly and currently operates more than 440 outlets, across the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Brunei, Maldives and Bangladesh.

 

Read more

  1. The Star Online. Successful Malaysian Brands. The secret of Secret Recipe. 21 March 2009. https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2009/03/21/the-secret-of-secret-recipe
  2. Our Story. www.secretrecipe.com.my
  3. Smart Company. 8 February 2013. Cara Waters. Secret Recipe Franchise collapses after investors spent $7 million in start up costs.  https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/franchising/secret-recipe-franchise-collapses-after-investors-spent-7-million-in-start-up-costs/
  4. Asia Sentinel. 7 December 2013. Buyer Beware in the Malaysian Franchise Industry. https://www.asiasentinel.com/p/malaysia-franchising