The Story Behind: Coffee Elements

Coffee elements is one of the cafe that receives favourable reviews from coffee lovers, bloggers and foreigners. When you visit to Coffee elements, usually the employees and the cafe owners will greet you with a warm smile and say “Hi/ hello, how are you today?” That is how they started a conversation with me. Sometimes, the cafe owners will sit beside you and chatting with you or ask for your feedback regard to their food and drink. So, these are the reasons why I become the regular customer in this cafe. So, I’m glad to have an interview with the co-founder of the Coffee Elements, Mr. Toh Peng Chung, to share with me more about the cafe.

Lee Wai Mun= WM

Toh Peng CHung= PC

WM: Hi, Pc! Can you share something on how did you get started with this business?

PC: Hi! Actually I am studying in engineering background, then I started my carrier in factory line for about like 10, 11 years. Later on I started to move into sales for 2, 3 years, before I make a decision to start up a business.

How I get an idea on starting up this business is because actually I and my partners are like coffee and we feel that coffee is a necessity rather than a needs to most of the people. Every time when we go out to have our coffee, where this kind of brews coffee we found out that the price is too high. People sell a cup of cappuccino in 10-12 ringgit per cup. 

Then, imagine like me, I drink about 6-8 cups of coffee per day so I have no choice but to brew my own coffee at home where basically the cost is not that high. From there I started this kind of business.

Coffee Elements

WM: is it hard to start up a business during economy downtime?

PC: Every year you will feel that people will say next year will be worst, you won’t hear people say okay, next year is going to be good. I don’t think so because that's no time or accurate time or correct time to start a business actually. In any business also we will feel this. As long as the business that you run, the things that you do, you have to find a way to make it better.

Menu

WM: Do you face any challenges or difficulties?

PC: Ya. Actually I feel that coffee is a culture where people drink normal kopi O’ (local black coffee), instant coffee and so on. Then from there to change into espresso base coffee, that is kind of a challenge actually. So, we need to share experience with customer, we need to talk and get their feedback and let the customer know how to appreciate this kind of coffee where we are using proper beans to make coffee, milk and all that should be more healthier than those kind of coffee. 

I still remember where some of older people ask me why your coffee is not that bitter and I try to explain to them by saying that proper coffee shouldn’t have bitter. We need to have coffee body but is not that bitter.

Actually there is a lot of difficulties other than coffee. For example, we try to make our own caramel sauce, even the chocolate sauce and coffee sauce. We are not from F&B background. So, when we try to make things ourselves, definitely the difficulties stage is more compare to people that already used to do this kind of things.

Heidi (staff) and PC

WM: What is most rewarding?

PC: The most rewarding is I have my whole team that supporting my dream and make my dream as their dream. I feel if you treat your team good, your team will treat your customer good. Because you can’t be here all the time to monitor every movement and micromanage is not my style.

WM: Are you satisfy with what you have?

PC: I shouldn’t say I satisfy because this cafe is just like about nearly three years and I’m in midst 30 and I don’t feel is time for me to satisfy on what I have and is too early to say satisfy. Maybe another 15 years hopefully I can say I’m satisfy.

Chicken with Cream Mushroom

WM:What would you advice to those who want to start up a business similar with you?

PC: Actually quite a lot of people asking me how to do this and that, I mean how to operate, and how to start up and all that I do share with them.

Mr. Toh Peng Chung

WM: The last, what are your goals or dream for future?

PC: Actually my dream is to see my people with me and they success through me because I believe when my people success, this company will definitely success.

WM: So, thank you for your sharing. 

PC: You are most welcome, thank you so much! 

Coffee elements @ All Season Place
Address: First floor of All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Theik, Bandar Baru Air Itam, Penang.

Business Hours: Monday- Thursday 11am- 11pm

                           Friday: 11am- 11.30pm

                           Saturday: 9am- 11.30pm

                           Sunday: 9am- 11pm

Contact Number: 6012- 478 2693

Email: coffeeelements@gmail.com

Facebook: Coffee Elements Malaysia
Instagram: Coffee Elements Instagram