2 years in, this M’sian barista has grown House of Wheat to 3 locations across Klang Valley

What would you say is the coffee capital of the world? 

There’s probably a lot of different answers. For one, Malaysia’s own coffee culture seems to be quite advanced these days, with three local coffee shops making it onto a newly minted global list called The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list. 

But one answer that would most definitely crop up is Melbourne, Australia. 

And the robust cafe landscape there was what drew Wyman to the industry. 

Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, he had pursued his studies in Melbourne. Working as a barista throughout his uni life, Wyman developed a strong attachment to the craft. 

“However, during the pandemic, I had no choice [but] to come back to Malaysia,” he explained. “For that period of time, I joined the corporate life, pursuing what I majored in: marketing.”

But he only lasted three months in the corporate world. Still yearning for the cafe life, he decided to join a cafe in KL. 

Running his own joint was always a dream of his, though. That’s why when his friend proposed running a dessert cafe together, he immediately took the leap, even though the concept wasn’t exactly what Wyman dreamt of pursuing. 

“It will be one of the best ways to learn how to operate one cafe from scratch,” Wyman reasoned.  

Three years into running the dessert shop, though, Wyman felt that he was finally ready to pursue his initial dreams. With that, he began to reimagine his ideal space and concept all over again.

The result of that was House of Wheat. 

Building the house

To Wyman, House of Wheat is all about community. 

This includes the community that has supported them since day one. It’s also the coffee community, such as other cafe owners as well as roasteries. It’s also the community comprising their own team. 

“Most importantly, I wanted HoW to be a place where everybody can get access to great food, coffee and hospitality,” Wyman said. 

House of Wheat got its start in Cheras, offering a limited number of offerings. The menu items mostly reflected what Wyman enjoyed in Melbourne. But more than just copying them, Wyman added a little Malaysian flair to them. 

“About our sourdough, I will not lie to you that ours is the best I ever had,” he raved. “My partner Jayden has been making this sourdough for years. And when I tried it, all I knew was that his sourdough could be easily accepted by many Malaysians.” 

Wyman described the bread as having a thin layer of crust and a soft, moist middle, complete with a mix of aromatic toasted seeds. Thanks to Jayden’s impressive bakes, House of Wheat has become known for its sourdoughs. 

Opening more houses

These days, House of Wheat’s second location has become quite the hot spot. Nestled in a residential area in Chow Kit, it just had its grand opening earlier this year. 

“Actually, I never thought that we were able to expand this quickly,” Wyman admitted. “Thinking back, all I ever thought about was just providing the best in the neighbourhood.” 

Prior to House of Wheat 2.0, though, the team had already expanded to a second location within Bhub Bouldering, a climbing gym in PJ. 

“In order for my team to learn and grow, I took up a little project (which is Bhub) for the team to learn and experience more than just working in one single place,” the founder explained.  

After observing the team’s performance, Wyman desired to bring more exposure to their brand, making it more than just a neighbourhood cafe. 

“That’s when I started to look for a new place around the city,” he said. 

He visited numerous areas such as PJ, Damansara, and Puchong. It was finally in Tiong Nam where he found the ideal spot.

Opening the new outlet, he thought it would be easy since it would just be replicating the same menu and concept. Little did they know it would be a whole new beast. 

“It was hard because the layout is triple the size of our Cheras branch,” Wyman pointed out. “With an overwhelming crowd, the fairly new team is hanging on the edge. Operating in Chow Kit feels like a public holiday every day.”

Even when the team is tired from the day, Wyman still strives to do training after their service, believing that’s how you can perfect the craft. 

Empowering members of the house

Thinking back to the early days, Wyman recalled that it was quite tough. The team had to fork out all the funds from their own pockets, spending everything they had. 

Thankfully, it seems like their hard work has paid off. Today, House of Wheat has even brought on some new investors, and any earnings have been reinvested to grow the business. 

Financing aside, there have been many challenges along the way. A big one is labour, which was particularly challenging as they expanded, since they had to hire and train the staff way before 2.0 even launched. 

“Throughout the process some left and some stayed. Working with humans is always tough and a lot of training needs to be done,” he shared. 

It’s also challenging to travel from branch to branch, which is necessary to control the quality of food and services in all locations. 

“I’ve learnt to manage better through communication and just facing directly to one PIC of each branch, therefore jobs are delegated so that things can still be overseen easily,” he said. 

Today, House of Wheat has around 30 team members. According to Wyman, their culture has always been about supporting the staff members, empowering them to grow in the industry and in their profession. After all, Wyman was once in their shoes. 

“I always think back on my days and what I sought for as an employee, and now as an employer, I try my best to answer them or help them out,” he said. “A clear growth path in the company is important for the team to know, so at least my vision and mission is clear for the team to achieve together.”

From a house to a home

Like many entrepreneurs, Wyman does dream of expanding to other states, but with the second outlet, he has quickly realised that they would need a central kitchen. This is especially the case if they want to venture into their own roastery. 

“As for this moment, I am happy to stay fully owned by ourselves,” he shared. “There are no thoughts of making it a franchise or entering any malls at the moment.”

From one neighbourhood to the next, House of Wheat aims to stay true to their humble roots, prioritising a quality cup of coffee at a time.

Featured Image Credit: House of Wheat