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Strangers at 47: Turning Crepes into RM3.5M a Year

Lim Sing Yi, Co-Founder, Strangers at 47 | Sean Ooi, Co-Founder, Strangers at 47

28-Jul-25 10:00

Strangers at 47: Turning Crepes into RM3.5M a Year

For 11 years, Strangers at 47 has been a beloved neighbourhood cafe, famous for its savory crepes. But behind the cozy vibes is a story of resilience, adaptation, and the relentless hustle of surviving in the tough F&B industry.

Co-founders Lim Sing Yi and Sean Ooi join us to share their journey from "fearless" young graduates to seasoned F&B veterans. They discuss the financial realities of running a cafe with thin margins, their strategy to boost profitability by expanding into catering and e-commerce, and their ambitious plans to launch a new flagship store.

We discuss:

  • The 11-year journey of building a beloved neighbourhood cafe.

  • The financial realities of running an F&B business on 6-8% net margins.

  • Their strategy to boost profitability by expanding into catering and e-commerce.

  • The biggest ongoing challenge in F&B: hiring and retaining talent.

  • Their future plans, including the launch of a new flagship store.

For aspiring and current F&B entrepreneurs, this is an honest and insightful look at what it truly takes to build a sustainable and beloved brand from the ground up.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan, Kishan Sivaswamy

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


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Categories:  foodentrepreneursSMEeconomymanaging

Tags:  F&B Businessentrepreneurshipsme malaysiarestaurant managementhospitality





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