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Mr Abdul Bashir Saidek Niqqi's - The Cheese Prata Shop
| Interviewer |
| Name: |
Vinay Sarathy |
| Interviewee |
| Name: |
Abdul Bashir Saidek |
| Company Address |
18 Clementi Rd, Singapore - 129747 |
| Email |
- |
| Date of Interview |
10 Feb 2003, 7.30pm - 9.30pm |
"I have seen every car in front of my shop except a Rolls Royce in the last three years, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, lotus and even a Lamborghini." - Mr. Bashir announced with pride during the course of the interview. This statement pretty much sums the success story of the Cheese Prata Shop since the business started a few years back.
Mr Bashir, the proud owner of the shop is a man who has learnt it the hard way. Way back in the early 90s, he left his regular job to venture into the market, on his own. When asked why he had made such a drastic change in his lifestyle, all he said was, "for a man of ideas, it was years in the offing, If you have ideas, there's no way you can sit and let it remain in your head, its time to explore, take some risks, calculative risks and make your ideas work". With these words, he started his first business, in the logistics industry mainly in Singapore and Indonesia. It was hard when it started, but he was strong, he never gave up, and after about a year, the business slowly began to pick up and by the middle of the 90s, he was a happy man with a wonderful family. But this fairy tale wasn't to continue. The economic problems in Indonesia during the later part of the decade affected his business. He was soon at a state when the only option he was left with was to shut down. But these years had been valuable to him, in terms of experience and confidence. He believed that his ideas would never let him down. For quite a while, he was looking for new ventures, and in the same time, running numerous errands to earn his living and for his family.
Then came the day, while sitting in his favourite Muslim Food stall in Clementi Road, he realized that this shop has so much potential but still not doing as well as it could. Being an entrepreneur, he always had the eye for potential. The shop was shutting down, and he all this while, he was thinking hard, long hours, days and weeks spent to come up with that winning edge that is going to help him kick start his new business, after all, the location is something every owner in the food industry would wish for, bang in the city area, hardly a 5 minute walk from NUS and the potential to target such a huge customer base was too tantalizing to Mr. Bashir. He in his own words said "I do not know how to cook, but that doesn't mean I can't think and work and build an idea. My mother has been in the food business for over 40 years and she is a master chef, so it's about time I venture into that as well". And it was during those days the winning combination struck him. He had always been fascinated by the student's crazy for pizza, and he was very much aware of how popular prata is among Singaporeans. Now, how about a combination of the two? It is a prata, but filled with cheese, and all the other ingredients that make a pizza as delicious as it is. Thus was born, the Cheese Prata revolution in Singapore. He tried various combinations of all the ingredients and after a few weeks, he came up with the right combination. He started, what was the first and only cheese prata shop in the whole island.
Like many businesses, it started off small, but with NUS right next to the shop, it was bound to catch a fever. He had always believed that quality was the ultimate ingredient to success, and his pratas would sell at the minimum profitable price. He always believed that quality will bring crowds and the large volumes would take care of the marginal profit. Mr. Bashir was never formally trained in taking up businesses, but he followed his heart, he was shrewd, calculative and a meticulous statistician. Soon people from all over the island flogged to his place to taste, this new amazingly delicious pratas that he was making, stuffed with tomatoes, onions, cheese, pineapples, potatoes, sea food etc - anything and everything that you would normally expect in a pizza. With the crowd came the media, he has had coverage of his shop all over the news, as well as popular local shows like Makan Sutra etc. He was forever experimenting, calculating, trying to improve his business, the quality of his specialty pratas. He never advertised his shop formally; he let his pratas do that for him. Since then, the Prata shop has grown into a neat and established set-up, with over 150 seats serving designer pratas as well as other popular food stuff such as Murtabak and various delightful beverages.
It has been many years in the business now, and Mr. Bashir is one happy man.
This is what he had to say for all the budding entrepreneurs out there, "Work
hard, never give up, fight all the way until the last breathe, never surrender
and this is the only way to succeed." Mr. Bashir is truly a great entrepreneur
- Singaporean Style.
| Interview With Mr Abdul Bashir Saidek Niqqi |
How did it all start? Give us a brief description of your business in your own words. Was your family and friends supportive of your decision to start this business?
I was working before, left my job and started my own company. In 1998, I had to give it up. I always want to be involved in something new, any opportunity etc. We encountered a lot of problems, we lost a bit of money, I have to find the money, and can't wait for the money to come to me. I knew a shop near Clementi road, there was a Nasi Lemak stall, an Indian food stall, one western stall and a Chinese stall. This Indian stall was doing pretty decently, but their business collapsed, don't know for what reason, but I realized the potential for this place was very good. For one reason, it is in the middle of Singapore, and close to NUS. I was thinking to do some good and affordable food for everyone. My mom is a good cook and she has been in the food business for 46 years. I told my wife, and we decided to sell Pratas with a cheese filling, like in pizzas. It must be good cheese, not cheap cheese, and after talking to some of my friends in Canadian Pizza, we decided on one good cheese from Australia. To bring in good cooks, my wife will have a better idea. If it is expensive, don't bother about cost, we have to come up with the best. Finally we concluded, on the right combination. This is how it started.
When I was working for someone, with my knowledge and expertise, I believed
that I can go far. Of course some people are happy with what they have, but I
always think how far I can get and I knew I can go far.
Starting a business is not easy; it's a lot of hard work. When I was working,
I was really hard working. I initially had a bit of the capital to start this
business from the savings from my old company and I used to work over the weekends,
some part-time work. My wife and her family were helping out too. I don't go clubbing,
or to movies, and I saved a lot of money as I had my mind set on this business.
Initially, you are bound to lose money, but don't give up. Always have back-up.
If you need cut, the first one or two years, you have to work very hard.
My success is owed to my family and wife and children and my mother-in-law. Her
contribution was very important to my business as well.
Do you have any partners? Are they related?
When I started, I had one partner; he was a close friend of mine. Even though his share of the investment was lesser, he was my friend. I was always the planner of the company, and I had to make decisions for the company, not for you, not for anyone. You have to make decisions which are fair, and not compromised. After 5-7 months, I decided to let him go because he broke the rules. If you break the rule, you have to go. And it was the decision for the company. From then on, I am the only owner of the business.
The Cheese Prata shop is a different case. I started all on my own. It took
about 4 months to plan it out, took the help of my friends, it wasn't easy starting
on my own, but I finally did.
Singaporeans try all kind of food. That was my main motivation. Started with
cheese, then mushroom, potato, onion, ultimately we want something similar to
pizza, cheap and affordable as we are attracting mostly students. I do statistics
and I come up with the right combinations. How many we sell, what kinds they
eat, how many people come to the shop etc. First three months, it was never easy,
I never came home. 95% of my time was in the shop, I sit there, I work there,
I see what people what, how can I improve the quality of the prata? etc. This
is something totally new to me.
Tell me some of the more memorable days in the last few years at the Prata Shop.
One day, some big shot from the MOE came, he talked to me. He was telling me about the education program, he was impressed with the shop and the curry served along with the cheese pratas. Then Media works, Mediacorp, Suria and later Makan Sutra all came down. Initially all the Malays were not sure, as they eat only Halal, but with all these TV programmes and media coverage, they started coming into the shop slowly. Our publicity was very wildly done in the media. I have not spent a single cent in advertising my business. The Pratas do that for me, my customers do that for me. I have seen every car in front of my shop since I started except a Rolls Royce.
What is so special about the Cheese Prata Shop? What is that clinching edge you have over the rest of the Prata Shops?
This is the only shop that sells Cheese Prata the way it is supposed to be. Sometimes customers come in and ask me what is good and I tell them that everything here is good otherwise I won't be selling them. We started with cheese, mushroom cheese, onion cheese, potato cheese, cheese and egg, now we have added new ingredients such as potatoes, banana and pineapple. Everything on a pizza tastes good with pratas. The curry we provide has also been tested for a long time and finally we have decided on fish curry which everyone likes. Recently we came out with Niqi's Special which is doing very well.
We tried serving vegetarian curry, but ours is a 24 hour shop, we found it
difficult to have a vegetarian curry. We also sell Mee Goreng, Nasi Padang, Roti
Prata, Roti John, Cheese Roti John etc. The pricing has also been carefully done
with the help of some customers, and we are cheap and affordable, students can
easily afford this. Never cheat, never lie and never sell bad quality food. We
are very open. Quality of the food is most important and I would say 99% of our
customers are satisfied with what we provide. Sometimes we get complains as the
customers have to wait, but there are so many orders, some want cheese, some
want mushroom pratas, some want nasi padang, some want special pratas and we
have to make them all. We are definitely trying to improve our business and service
but no customer has ever complained about the quality of food we serve. My wife
is very rigid on quality control. We will never serve low quality food.
Seating space is very important. Customers come, they eat, they go, some wait
as there is no place. We have acquired the next shop just for the seating space
and we are trying our best. The biggest problem is man power and we just cannot
get the man power today.
Children today are very smart, P4, P5 students want cheese pratas. We've got
lawyers, doctors, big businessmen complimenting us on our business. Of course
we get complaints, but it is only because they have to wait. We try to solve
these problems. We cook and cook non-stop and try our best to meet the demands
of our customers. But again, its human character, some people wait, some people
leave.
We have lots of beverages too, teh chino, kopi chino, milo chino, fresh lime juice etc. This same lime juice costs $4 elsewhere, but I sell it for very cheap.
We tried home delivery service, but it is not viable. But you can always call, give us your order, and come pick up the food and go.
There is no short cut in running a business, I keep saying this again and
again but there is no short cut.
Do you have any future plans for the Business?
I do have one future plan to start franchising. Let us see what comes out of
it. We should know within the next one year. Work hard is the part I have done;
now I have to work smart. One thing people seem to mistake is the shop name.
Everyone calls it the cheese prata shop, but it is Niqi's cheese prata shop,
we designed the logo etc. We need to strengthen the brand.
Did you undergo any formal training in Business Management?
No, in my previous job, I was a manager, but it was all with experience. I had to make a lot of compromises, constantly make decisions, what to do? How to do? Etc. I of course learnt it the hard way, but I gained a lot from this.
I feel one of the key business strategies you use is the fact that the shop is open 24 hours. Of course nowadays you find people sitting there all through the night enjoying the pratas. So how did this idea first strike you?
I used to observe this place a lot before I took over the place. I used to go at 8 PM, 10 PM, 12 PM, every two hours, and I could observe at what time how the business was. The previous shop used to close late night till the morning, but many people used to come in the morning also and many students come late in the night. So that's when we decided to have it open for 24 hours. Initially it was difficult for me as I am used to sleeping well in the night, the first few weeks were pretty bad for me, but I had to adjust. People who go clubbing and all, they all come after their clubbing to this place and this is when the shop is full always, some come from all the way in the East.
All food is more or less available 24 hours, except maybe nasi padang and
a few other items.
What is the future of your business, the future owners?
I have not decided, but what I have discussed with friends and family, if everything goes well, I will pass the shop to my workers. They have done a very good job, and it will be good to give them a share of the business. The shop wouldn't have been a success without them. I would be happy if the person can even think and work half as hard as me. That will make me very proud.
I have been approached by all kinds of people to start business, joint ventures.
I am very careful. I am a funny character, if I start, I will start on my own.
But I have not decided much. I am happy with what is right now.
If my children want to do what they want, let them do it, if they want to
continue my business, I would gladly let them take it. There are plans, but I
haven't decided anything yet.
If you are chosen as one of the 38 winners will you come to the ceremony to be honored? Will you be comfortable with the press and TV asking you many of the same questions if you are a winner?
Yes, I have met the press before. I think no problem.
Do you have any objections to this interview being posted on the community web site or published in the newspaper prior to being chosen?
No, none at all.
If part of Spirit of Enterprise is a scholarship given in your name directed to any school you would like to give it to: any idea now where that would be? You don't have to decide now, but if some day you were asked - any ideas? Primary, Secondary, College, Technical or University.
It will be a school I guess, but I can't decide now which school it will be.
When the interview is written I will show you a copy for accuracy and for your signature before we post it on the Community Net site, would be fine with you?
Yes, no problem.
Student Interviewer's Personal Comment
(Please note that some parts of the interview have been deleted due to repetition, irrelevance or incoherence) |
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