Kebaikan dalam botol dikirim ke ambang pintu

Ide untuk memberikan kenyamanan bagi orang-orang dengan gaya hidup yang sibuk yang ingin makan dengan sehat, melihat tiga orang muda berkumpul dengan rencana bisnis untuk mengantarkan jus nabati dan jus segar kemasan ke depan pintu.

La Juiceria Sdn Bhd, pendatang baru di pasar jus segar, adalah gagasan dari ketiga direkturnya - Anabelle Co-Martinent, Kong Len Win dan Hong Theng Lok. Kemitraan mereka memberikan sinergi yang tepat bagi La Juiceria untuk memasuki pasar yang sedang berkembang ini.

Co-Martinent, ibu dua anak berusia 35 tahun yang ceria, selalu siap untuk berbagi manfaat jus segar dengan penonton. Dan Hong, di sisi lain, menjalankan perusahaan online untuk menjual sayuran dan buah segar jauh sebelum La Juiceria.

Pembentukan La Juiceria agak tepat waktu, mengingat ketertarikan untuk makan sehat. Laporan mencatat bahwa permintaan jus dibuat dari produk segar, dan jus buah tertentu, terus meningkat karena meningkatnya kesadaran konsumen akan manfaat kesehatan dari diet seimbang.

Business idea bears fruit: La Juiceria Sdn Bhd directors ( from left) Kong Len Win, Anabelle Co-Martinent and Hong Theng Lok plan to set up a retail outlet for fresh juice by the end of the year.

The catalyst for La Juiceria came about from a casual conversation between Co-Martinent and Hong, who had delivered fresh organic vegetables and fruits to her house last year. This became the turning point in Co-Martinent’s love for fresh juice.

Hong promptly brought the business idea of vegetable and fruit juices to Kong, who was then a general manager for business development with the Berjaya Group.

Shortly after, Kong resigned from his job to take the plunge into the business of fresh juices.

“That happened last November,” said Kong, recalling how Hong, whom he knew since their primary school days in Sitiawan, Perak, had brought the business idea to him.

Hong and Kong, both 31, graduated in finance and IT from Australia respectively, and had worked there for a while before returning to Malaysia a few years ago to build their careers.

Kong said his sudden decision to go into business was very much inspired by other successful entrepreneurs such as Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Datuk Robin Tan, whom he reported to during his employment with the group.

Katalis untuk La Juiceria muncul dari percakapan santai antara Co-Martinent dan Hong, yang telah melahirkan sayuran organik segar dan buah-buahan ke rumahnya tahun lalu. Ini menjadi titik balik cinta Co-Martinent untuk jus segar.

Hong segera membawa ide bisnis jus sayuran dan buah ke Kong, yang saat itu menjadi manajer umum untuk pengembangan bisnis dengan Grup Berjaya.

Tak lama setelah itu, Kong mengundurkan diri dari pekerjaannya untuk terjun ke bisnis jus segar.

'Itu terjadi November lalu,' kata Kong, mengingat bagaimana Hong, yang dia tahu sejak masa sekolah dasar mereka di Sitiawan, Perak, telah membawa ide bisnis kepadanya.

Hong dan Kong, masing-masing 31, lulus di bidang keuangan dan TI dari Australia masing-masing, dan telah bekerja di sana beberapa saat sebelum kembali ke Malaysia beberapa tahun yang lalu untuk membangun karir mereka.

Kong mengatakan keputusan mendadak untuk terjun ke bisnis sangat terinspirasi oleh pengusaha sukses lainnya seperti Tan Sri Vincent Tan dan Datuk Robin Tan, yang dia laporkan saat bekerja dengan kelompok tersebut.

“I learned a lot from them and appreciate all their guidance,” Kong said of his four-year stint with the company.

Currently, people order their juices online at La Juiceria’s website, www.lajuiceria.com.my. and they will be delivered to their home.

But Kong said they have plans to set up a retail outlet for fresh juice in a shopping centre by end of this year.

He reckoned that a good product would get recognition from the people, adding that many of their customers came to know about their products through word of mouth.

La Juiceria has 11 types of juices currently, catering to the preferences of its customers.

Kong noted that the process of washing and cutting the vegetables and fruits, to juicing and bottling, was tedious and time consuming.

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/sme/2014/05/07/a-juicy-deal-goodness-in-a-bottle-delivered-to-the-doorstep/~/media/FEE098CFCC644AF599B12BB7C43FF3A3.ashx

Healthy juice from La Juiceria is for everyone, including children like four-year-old Alexandra.

But the three business partners work alongside their workers in the kitchen.

Kong, Hong, Co-Martinent and their family members make it a point to consume fresh juice regularly.

Kong tries to take juice for breakfast to ensure that at least a third of his daily food intake consists of a variety of vegetables and fruits.

He added that his family back in Sitiawan had caught on to the habit of juicing.

“But they have to do their own juicing,” he said, as La Juiceria’s delivery service is confined to the Klang Valley because the shelf life of its products is only three days under refrigeration.

For those who prefer to prepare their own juice, Kong said La Juiceria also sells the Hurom Juicer.

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/sme/2014/05/07/a-juicy-deal-goodness-in-a-bottle-delivered-to-the-doorstep/~/media/18D54CC6AC01489385753ABCB7487338.ashx

Co-Martinent showing off the Hurom slow juicer available for customers who are keen to make their own juice.

While there are many benefits in taking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, Co-Martinent said she would make recommendations to clients upon their request.

The individual’s taste, needs and expectations would influence their choice, she stressed.

The basic composition of the juice is 70% vegetables and 30% fruits to provide a good balance of nutrients.

According to Co-Martinent, one of the benefits of juicing is that there are certain vegetables such as beetroot and tumeric that are not consumed on their own, can be included into a juice recipe.

“It is difficult to eat a big variety of vegetables and fruits daily, but with juice one can consume a number of such fresh produce at once,” she pointed out.

image: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/sme/2014/05/07/a-juicy-deal-goodness-in-a-bottle-delivered-to-the-doorstep/~/media/8BBAD43CA62C41E5A5C2F77A774851AD.ashx

Vegetables and fruits are washed with special cleaner before they are juiced.

Co-Martinent said she and her business partners had done a lot of research to come up with the right recipes, adding that they requested feedback from their customers to further improve their products.

On the demographics of their clientele, Co-Martinent said 80% were women.

As for the men, half of them were introduced to the juice by their wives, she said.

La Juiceria can expect a healthy growth as demand for good quality vegetable and fruit juices is set to rise in tandem with increase in health awareness among the people.