A new gelato parlour by the name of OrGelato opened up in Mont Kiara last October.
Sporting a bold, retro aesthetic and a delicious-looking array of desserts, it appears to be quite the refined project. It begs the question, how has this fairly new business been able to establish itself so quickly and so well in the affluent neighbourhood of Mont Kiara?
Turns out, the co-founder behind the business is actually none other than the one behind Hummingbird & Mallows (HM) Gelato.
Formerly working as a chef in prestigious 5-star Singaporean hotels and restaurants, Ann Gie created HM Gelato after two of her family members were diagnosed with cancer. Established in 2020, HM Gelato has found its niche creating botanical-inspired scoops.
So why the rebrand?
Familiar faces, new offerings
Ann Gie revealed that it all began with a simple question—an ex-colleague and industry acquaintances had reached out and asked if she wanted to partner up with them.
“The idea was to expand and grow together, leveraging each other’s strengths,” she elaborated.
At that time, Ann Gie saw the vital need for a team to tackle a bigger project, share responsibilities, and bring diverse skills to the forefront. Through synergy, they could create something more impactful than what could be done alone.
She clarified, “HM didn’t end; it evolved. Everyone agreed that it was time to take things further with a fresh new persona—one that was bold and fun.”
And that persona is OrGelato, or OG.
Explaining the brand name, Ann Gie said, “We were feeling silly, playing around with nouns, verbs, conjunctions and thought the name had a fun ring to it after nailing it down to OrGelato.”
She pointed out that “or” is a plain word that no one would normally associate with a brand name. However, the team decided to keep it simple, just like appreciating the simplicity of certain flavours.
“We also attached other meanings that we stand by as a brand such as: original gelato, only real ingredients, obsessively good, in a nutshell,” she added.
Through this new brand, Ann Gie and her team have been working to reinvent not just classic flavours but also dive into new, exciting, and experimental ones.
“The idea was to push the boundaries of what gelato could be, exploring how far we could take it in the Malaysian scene, blending creativity with taste, and introducing a whole new world of flavours.”
Setting up shop
Even with HM, the ambition had always been to have a physical shop. Through her new partners, this became a reality.
Although Mont Kiara was considered a new location for the team, they saw it as a fortuitous opportunity, allowing them to explore new markets.
However, the renovation process for the shop encountered some roadblocks, causing a delay of three months.
This was due to the extensive customisation the team opted for in order to craft an experience that matched the bold, retro, fun persona they envisioned.
“Every aspect of the interior was carefully crafted and designed with intention, from the cone holders to the ceiling art, the seating area, and even the cabinets,” Ann Gie pointed out.
This ended up fetching quite a high cost. With inflation and rising material costs, the budget quickly exceeded the team’s initial estimates.
“It was a challenge to balance our vision with the financial reality,” the co-founder admitted.
That said, the team already knew from the start that the capital investment would need to be substantial. Ann Gie revealed that it took shy of a seven-figure amount to lay the foundation for their vision.
However, she believes it was all worth it because the final result was one that matched their expectations.
“People have expressed how the store teleports them to a different place or country once they set foot into our store,” Ann Gie shared. “Lots of customers loved the idea of our cone holders and gelato cakes.”
Thankfully, the store’s reception seems to have been positive thus far, with OrGelato welcoming new customers as well as fans of HM.
More than the scoops
Malaysia is not lacking when it comes to gelato brands nowadays, though, especially in the Klang Valley region. To stand out, OG must truly execute a high quality product.
Achieving this involves using premium ingredients and relying on the team’s expert craftsmanship and product knowledge. But it’s not just the products that make or break a brand’s customer experience.
“Our creative direction was always to be thoughtful and intentional. We didn’t just want to make gelato; we wanted to resonate with our customers from the get-go,” Ann Gie said.
During the R&D process, the team constantly questioned what the market would want to try when they walked into the store. It wasn’t just about what the team wanted to create, but what would truly excite and surprise their customers.
The co-founder elaborated, “Every decision, from flavour combinations to store design, setting up and launching our website to cater to a wide spread of customers by offering same-day delivery was made with their experience in mind.”
Fine-tuning the business for the future
Barely half a year into their store, the team intends to focus on consolidating what they’ve built so far, ensuring the quality and experience of their current operations in-store. They’re also improving their catering services for events.
Aside from that, the team does have ambitions to scale up and sprout more outlets. In particular, the team is looking to expand into PJ next.
But as the team is fine-tuning their first store, they don’t have any concrete plans just yet.
“For now, it’s about continuing to grow organically, learning from our customers, and staying OG to our vision,” Ann Gie concluded.
Featured Image Credit: OrGelato
