IPOH: It was a leap of faith for operations engineer B. Kavinesh Varrma, who left his job in Port Klang to pursue his dream of opening a chai-flavoured ice cream business here.
The 29-year-old can now be found scooping colourful cups of ice cream for customers at Concubine Lane, a far cry from his responsibilities as an engineer in the oil and gas industry at the busy port.
The decision to quit his stable job was not an easy one for Kavinesh, who longed to start his own chai ice cream business.
“At times, I worked up to 36 hours straight willingly.
“But after a while, I realised I could not focus my time on building the business ideas I had with my friends,” he said when met at his Chaii Scoop shoplot here yesterday.
Kavinesh admitted that he previously left the industry to work as a service engineer elsewhere but returned to his former job after being persuaded by his former manager.
Despite staying on for two more years in the industry and receiving a promotion with the prospect of further career advancement, Kavinesh said he still felt unfulfilled.
He said the idea of venturing into the ice cream business began as a conversation among four friends, but he decided to take the first step to make it a reality.
“We always talked about it, but someone had to take action.
“Action without a plan is nothing, so we spent a lot of time planning before starting.
“I thought, why not turn a common drink into ice cream since the weather is very hot these days? And that’s how it started,” he said.
After months of research, Kavinesh began selling his ice cream by the roadside outside the well-known Concubine Lane in October last year, before moving into a lot there a month later.
“Some customers kept coming back, while others gave feedback saying it was too sweet.
“We took every comment seriously and continued with more research and development.”
Besides walk-in customers, Kavinesh also caters for events and functions.
In addition to his signature chai flavour, Kavinesh also offers flavours such as creamy cookies, dalgona coffee, cendol, matcha, strawberry yogurt and peanut butter.
He plans to introduce a spiced tea-inspired flavour and expand the business by opening more booths before eventually operating a full-fledged shop of his own.
Despite the uncertainty that came with leaving behind a stable job and career, Kavinesh said his family remained supportive throughout the journey.
The former engineer has one simple advice for those still hesitant about pursuing their dreams.
“If you want to pursue something, just go for it,” he said.
