Western food joints are aplenty in the Klang Valley nowadays. You likely have your own favourite spot, but one brand that has not only been sustaining itself in the competitive scene but also growing is OH MY BELLY.
Some might remember it as Belly and the Chef but the business also goes by Belly for short. With five operational outlets currently, it’s definitely solidified itself as one of the notable haunts for Western cafe fare in the Klang Valley area.
Here’s the story of how it got its start.
It started as a way to survive
Director Jef Yap is not a cook, much less a chef. Prior to co-founding Belly, he had zero experience in F&B.
Rather, he came from an accounting and finance background. His first job had been as a credit analyst in a bank.
After a year, however, he decided to go into construction doing electrical wiring work. For the next three years, he would work as a subcontractor.
During this time, he worked with another subcontractor named Marcus Lee on some projects. But, well, the pandemic struck.
“We were both jobless and broke during the beginning of the MCO,” Jef recounted.
At the time, one of the only businesses that was allowed to run was F&B, which fell under essential services. So Jef and Marcus had the idea to serve food in order to put food on their own tables.
Yet, they were already running out of cash at this point, so starting a full-fledged restaurant would be impossible. So, they went small.
As a start, the two delivered healthy foods, believing it would be relevant since many people were concerned about their health and wellness at that point.
While doing that, they serendipitously met their chef, Vincent Hoh. Vincent boasted a wealth of experience, having worked in the fine dining scene for 11 years in Macao. But like Jef and Marcus, he was struggling due to the pandemic.
The trio decided to work together to start their health food brand, and from there, Belly began to form.
Putting good food in people’s bellies
As mentioned, Belly was supposed to be all about healthy meals, but if you look at their current menu, you’d know that isn’t exactly the case.
“After MCO period, people’s preferences went back to normal café food,” Jef explained. “So, our concept switched to modern Western food.”
Identifying what the market wanted, Belly focused on cooking modern dishes with quality ingredients, all offered within a visually pleasing space. In other words, they followed the trends—but the key is that they did it well.
The location of their first outlet was quite trendy, too—Taman OUG.
“I think we were just riding on the cafe trends during that period of time,” Jef said. “We choose to open at OUG is because there were some good F&B outlets in that area. We wanted to be part of them. Moreover, the end lot is a good location for a modern shop design.”
However, Belly’s OUG outlet is actually closed right now. That’s because the team is planning to rebrand with a new concept.
“The previous interior design was outdated,” Jef explained. “We target to reopen by end of this year.”
Speaking of rebrands, why did Belly and the Chef get reduced to just Belly KL or OH MY BELLY? Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be a dramatic reason. Rather, the team just felt like Belly and the Chef was too long and difficult to pronounce and remember. So, OH MY BELLY it was.
Expanding as an F&B group
Receiving positive feedback for their first outlet, the Belly team began to expand. They honed in on the concept of being a neighbourhood café, choosing to open mainly in small township areas.
“When customers ask whether we can open in certain location, we go there,” Jef shared the simple strategy behind choosing their next locations.
Belly’s five branches are located in Cheras, PJ17, Menjalara, Segambut, and Mont Kiara. All outlets are self-owned, and there’s a central kitchen to maintain quality across the branches.
Beyond just expanding their own brand, Belly has also been collaborating with Mels Group, the team behind notable F&B brands like CC by Mel and Bake by Mel. Together, they launched Belly & Mel, as well as a now-inactive ZenxBelly brand.
“We are exploring more collaboration between our brands,” Jef said. “This synergy allows a more diverse group of customers and would improve our social presence.”
Starting with the Belly brand as the genesis, an F&B management company by the name of Mads Group has also been formed. There are five brands under the group, which comprise BellyKL, Dodoo Kitchen, Yuan Yuan Tea Style, Giglio, and Moments.
Jef shared that the group is currently working on two more brands, which will offer a more affordable price range.
“Our mission is to serve more customer with quality food and provide a memorable experience,” the director said. “Mads Group will continue to build a portfolio of F&B business with a common mission.”
From broke to breaking barriers
From the sound of things, the co-founders didn’t exactly start Belly out to be a well-known F&B business. But through sincere efforts, they’ve managed to grow it into what it is today.
Jef shared that the trio had actually started out with a capital of RM25k during the pandemic. But from there, they managed to get some friends to invest into the business.
From that humble start, the group is now on track to hitting RM23 million in revenue this year.
But as mentioned, Western cafe fare is a dime a dozen in the city nowadays. Belly might have been able to sustain and expand over the years, but it takes constant growth and effort to keep that up.
“To be honest, it is tough,” Jef shared. “However, we will constantly maintain our food quality and keep our menu up to market trends. With the correct price point and quality service and food, then only we can stay competitive.”
Featured Image Credit: OH MY BELLY
