After 9 yrs running a humble cafe in Bukit Jalil, this founder is ready to expand ambitiously

Bukit Jalil has become home to quite an assortment of popular cafes and eateries. Off the top of my head, I can think of CC by Mel (and all of its sister brands), The Owls Cafe’s New Chapter, and one that Vulcan Post recently featured, Scoby Cafe.

One haunt that has been steadily operating out of the neighbourhood is Fishee Coffee, established by founder Wylie nine years ago.  

Graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Wylie used to operate an IT and event marketing company before venturing into F&B.

Today, Fishee Coffee stands as a cornerstone of his business endeavours, though he also manages a few other ventures.

Talking about his inspiration and motivation behind Fishee Coffee, Wylie said that it simply originated from a passion for coffee, believing that quality coffee would naturally attract patrons.  

On top of that, he’s also the kind of person to take pleasure in cooking and seeing the joy on people’s faces when they enjoy his dishes.

“I aspired to run a business that doesn’t require constant entertaining or extensive efforts to seek sales and pitch for projects,” he added.

All these factors inspired him to start a coffee shop business. Thus in 2015, after undergoing training as a barista and chef, Wylie opened the doors of Fishee Coffee.

Staying steadfast

The menus are crafted by Wylie and his chefs, who he has collaborated with for many years.

“Our aim was to maintain simplicity while adding a touch of uniqueness by repurposing all the bread and buns we have served since day one, transforming them into something extraordinary like our popular Charcoal Bread Bowl Rice,” he explained.

Over the past nine years, only minimal changes have been made to the menu, Wylie said. Rather than changing things up all the time, he’s more concerned about enhancing the flavours over time.

He shared, “Customers returning after a decade will still savour the familiar taste of Fishee Coffee.”

In total, the Fishee team consists of 11 members, including chefs, baristas, and service crews. “We are a close-knit family with ambitious aspirations,” the founder said.

To Wylie, the greatest achievement of the coffee shop through the years has been surviving.

“Despite facing numerous challenges over the past nine years, including the challenging MCO period, we managed to persevere,” he said.

“Looking ahead, we aim not only to survive in the upcoming years but also to expand our presence, aspiring to become a must-visit neighbourhood coffee destination across Malaysia.”

Expanding beyond just coffee

After nine years of operating Fishee Coffee, Wylie recently decided to launch a new brand—Fishee Bar.

Launched just last month in April, Fishee Bar is a hidden blues and jazz musical bar that only operates on Friday and Saturday till 11PM. Conveniently, it’s located upstairs from the coffee shop.

“The inspiration stemmed from the closure of No Black Tie, a place I cherished for its live music, particularly jazz and blues, which are rare to find in the neighbourhood,” Wylie explained.

“Hence, I resolved to carry on the legacy of jazz, blues, and other distinctive music genres at Fishee Bar.”

So far, the bar has welcomed a number of acts, with regulars being bossa nova jazz musician Xiong and blues fingerstyle guitarist Yuta Tanaka.

Rising to the occasion

As mentioned earlier, Bukit Jalil has grown to become a hub for many popular eateries. Wylie shared that as one of the first cafes established in Bukit Jalil, he has indeed noticed many new names emerging.

“Initially, we were concerned about the increasing competition,” the founder admitted. “However, we have come to realise that this no longer bothers us as much.”

With time, he discovered that while people may visit a cafe out of curiosity when it’s new, true loyalty is what keeps them coming back for years.

“This realisation has given us confidence in maintaining a competitive edge,” he said.

He believes that Fishee’s food offerings, continual improvement based on feedback, and the community support have been instrumental in sustaining the business for the past nine years.

“Surviving nearly a decade in the competitive F&B industry has not been an easy journey for our small cafe,” Wylie mused. “We owe our success to the dedicated teams that make everything possible.”

For other entrepreneurs trying to grow a sustainable F&B brand, Wylie has three pieces of advice: Be practical about your passion, view your team as a family, and don’t forget where you started.

Growing swimmingly

Although Wylie advocated for practicality, he himself has some ambitious visions for Fishee Coffee too.

“Our goal now is to expand and grow by establishing a must-have coffee place in every neighbourhood,” he revealed. “I think every community deserves a spot like Fishee.”

The entrepreneur explained that currently, the team is already in the midst of seeking new ventures to help scale their growth and achieve their ambitious dreams.

The idea is to cement Fishee as “the people’s coffee place”, inspired by Volkswagen, which means “the people’s car”.   

It does seem like a lofty goal to expand the Fishee brand to every neighbourhood in town, but with good food, good service, and a good plan in mind, nothing’s impossible.

Featured Image Credit: Fishee Coffee