If you were already working a full-time job, would you be willing to run another business that requires an equal amount of commitment on the side?
And not just that, one that requires your attention seven days a week?
Well, they can’t speak for everyone, but for Carly and Min, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
“For me, Trailside Treats is a passion project,” shared Carly.
“I love trail running, I spend a lot of time in Bukit Kiara, and I wanted somewhere to hang out with friends on a weekend.”
Roll all that together, and you get their latest F&B venture in TTDI, Trailside Treats.
A second wind
Carly, who was born in the UK, graduated with a bachelor’s in film and media as well as a master’s in international events management.
She works in the education sector, where her job involves recruiting students from Asia to study over in Europe. It’s a role that requires extensive travel across the continent, of which has been her home for the past nine years.
“While I was living in Vietnam, I decided to open a vegan café and small fitness centre, called The Active Hub,” she mentioned.
This would be her first taste of F&B, however, COVID troubles would see the business close its doors after only a year of operation.
“When I relocated back to Malaysia, I really wanted to do something similar, but I never really found the time,” she added.
“I am quite often working outside of the country, and was worried I wouldn’t have the time to commit to something like this alone.”
Enter her business partner and fellow fitness enthusiast, Min.
A Malaysian local, Min works in B2B tech, helping startups grow and retain revenue.
Prior to that, he was studying liberal arts in the US before, like Carly, starting a vegan business of his own following his graduation.
Named Flourish Food, it was a vegan food delivery service opened around the time DoorDash and Uber Eats had just started to gain traction.
“I decided to take the entrepreneurship route rather than getting a job at a huge MNC because I didn’t want to be another candidate in the H1-B work visa lottery,” he explained.
He is, in his own words, the kind of person that prefers “taking control of his own luck,” after all.
“When I met Min, I told him about The Active Hub and he was really interested in learning more and together we started to explore the idea of opening a business,” said Carly.
“We both wanted to create a community where we could host trail runners and fitness enthusiasts, and so we decided to move forward with the idea of the café.”
There was, however, one small problem. They’d need a venue.
A dual-purpose
Among everything else, finding a good location for Trailside Treats proved to be the most difficult challenge for the pair when starting out.
“We knew we could work with whatever space we were given, but it just took us a really long time to find it,” Carly explained.
It is by no exaggeration then, that they refer to their current space in Wisma WIM a “blessing.”
Quite miraculously, it is only five minutes away from the Bukit Kiara trailhead.
“We negotiated with the building management to allow us to install an outdoor shower, so trail runners and hikers have a place to freshen up,” Min added.
Towels and toiletries are provided by Trailside Treats free of charge, and an ice bath is even available for use on the premises.
But these athlete-centric amenities are of course only one side of the story. Trailside Treats is a cafe after all.
“My personal favourite has to be the lontong,” shared Carly. “We serve an athlete-sized portion, so it’s super filling, especially after a long morning out on the trails.”
Min on the other hand has a particular soft spot for their sandwiches and smoothies, both of which happen to be their best sellers.
“We use quality and wholesome ingredients to make sure our customers are getting the best nutrition for them to refuel and recover after their workout, or power their training,” he added.
One for all
While Trailside Treats’ primary target audience may be athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Carly also noted that they want to encourage all who happen to find themselves on Bukit Kiara’s trails as well as the residents of the area to drop by for a visit too.
Growing their community, not their brand, appears to be the immediate short-term goal for the business.
“We love seeing our friends come to visit, but we are also particularly excited when we see new faces come in to enjoy our food and drinks,” said Carly.
“We deliberately chose to grow organically through word of mouth and are happy to see returning customers coming back to enjoy not only our food and drinks, but also the comfortable and welcoming space where they can hang out with their friends,” Min added.
It must also be said that joining a community like what Trailside Treat has could prove beneficial to you as well.
Reaching out to others when you’re down on motivation is a particular piece of advice that Carly shared for those looking to kickstart their fitness journey.
- Learn more about Trailside Treats here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about F&B businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Trailside Treats
