FROM helping to take customers’ orders as a 10-year-old to introducing digital technology, 26-year-old Mohamad Rabani Mohamad Salem is now carrying forward the family business started by his mother more than three decades ago.
Jumaliah Hassan started the business in 1991. Now 60, she began by selling nasi campur during lunchtime at a stall on the ground floor of Permata, now known as Topspot in Kuching city.
In 1993, the business moved to the sixth floor, then known as Taman Kereta, where it later shifted from selling nasi campur to operating as a beverage stall in the evening.
Jumaliah was inspired to start the business after noticing strong demand for lunch among employees from nearby offices.
She married Mohamad Salem Musthak Ahmad in 1992, and the couple managed the business together. Salem is now 66.
Today, the family business operates as Salem’s Corner at Stall No. 16, Topspot, where Rabani helps run the business alongside his parents.
For Rabani, the business has been part of his life since childhood.
He began helping at the age of 10 in 2010, initially taking customers’ orders and delivering them before learning to prepare drinks and manage the stall.
Over the years, he gradually took on more responsibility and began taking over the business from his parents.
Rabani said maintaining product quality, providing consistent customer service, and continuing to innovate as times and customer expectations changed were among the biggest challenges faced by the family.
“We have not seriously considered closing the Topspot stall because demand has remained strong. Although there were pressures to relocate, loyal customers and continuous demand helped the stall survive,” he said.
His parents had also operated several other businesses over the years, including a restaurant on Jalan Haji Taha and beverage stalls at Kubah Ria and Sukma Ria, but those outlets were eventually closed.
The business has since adapted to changing technology and customer behaviour, moving from cash-only payments to QR payments, physical menus to digital menus and adopting social media marketing.
“I have helped the business adopt these technologies while preserving what our long-time customers value,” he said.
While traditional drinks such as coffee and tea remain popular, Rabani said the family had diversified the menu by adding fruit juices and other options to appeal to a wider and younger customer base.
He said development in Kuching and Sarawak had brought both advantages and challenges, with visitors from other Malaysian states and overseas creating more potential customers.
However, competition had also increased as newer and more modern cafes attracted younger customers.
To remain relevant, Rabani promotes the stall through social media and introduces menu items suited to younger customers while continuing to serve its loyal customer base.
For Rabani, one of the most meaningful aspects of the business was seeing customers return even after many years.
“Knowing that the stall remains the choice of loyal customers is a milestone that means a great deal to our family,” he said.
He said watching his parents build and run the business from scratch had motivated him to continue their work.
“Continuing the business and helping the family legacy grow into something more successful would make both my parents and me proud,” he said.
Looking ahead, Rabani hopes the business will continue to grow and become a must-visit place in Kuching while remaining relevant to younger customers.
He also hopes his descendants will eventually continue the business, allowing the family legacy to continue for generations.
