How Inside Scoop Became Malaysia's Most Favourite Ice Cream Store!

" By keeping our staff happy, quality and customer service are more likely to be achieved!"

Mention Inside Scoop and everybody is bound to have a favourite flavour (we absolutely love the cempedak!). But did you know that this popular ice cream brand was started by two young Malaysians just like yourself?

True story: Founders (and husband-wife team) Edmund Tan and Lim Shiew Li were both working in the corporate world (Tan was an investment banker while Lim was an actuary) before deciding to turn their passion for food into a business idea. The decision to do so was based on a simple business strategy: “We noticed a gap in the market. There weren’t any brick and mortar artisanal ice cream parlours that made their own ice cream flavours at that time so we decided that was a natural space for us to build a brand of our own,” shares Lim.

And so began their journey to the sweeter side of life – making their own ice cream. The whole thing really started from scratch – Lim, who used to make ice cream on a tiny home machine, took a course in Bologna to further develop her skills. And now, there are 23 Inside Scoop stores selling great ice cream, waffles and warm service – the very vision that the founders based their business on!

What makes Inside Scoop such a great hit among Malaysians? Lim says it is the very nature that Inside Scoop is a homegrown brand. “Our USP is locally made ice cream served by locals. We feel that as Malaysians, we understand the Malaysian palate and that it is refreshing to interact with someone who can understand you,” shares Lim. FYI – Inside Scoop runs its stores on a large pool of part-timers whom they believe have great energy and potential so if you’ve ever interested, walk in and apply to be part of the team!

TOUGH START, PERFECT ENDING
Most people assume that when it comes to funding, young entrepreneurs naturally turn to their parents for help. Not Tan and Lim though. It was their hard-earned savings that got their first Inside Scoop store up and running. “Our start-up capital came from our savings from our corporate days. Profit was reinvested for expansion,” Lim says.

Their initial challenge? “It’s definitely not easy! It requires dedication, hard work and sacrifices. The main worry in the beginning was how receptive the market would be to our product,” says Lim. But they didn’t have to worry because business was doing so well that by the time they opened their fourth store, Tan quit his job so that he could focus on Inside Scoop full time.

Their biggest challenge now? “Staffing, like with most businesses. We spend a large amount of time on training and refreshers to ensure that the crew is aligned on the service expectations and truly embrace the vision and mission of the company. By keeping our staff happy, quality and customer service are more likely to be achieved!” says Lim.

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