The family business has been handed down three generations – it is currently run by 46-year-old Lim Chee Keong, who inherited the skill of coffee roasting from his father, Ah Kok, and his grandfather, Kip Seng.
Despite the digital age and pressure to engage in mass production, the family continues to roast coffee the old-fashioned way, as developed by Kip Seng so many years ago and perfected further by Ah Kok.
The late founder Kip Seng migrated from China in the 1950s and was a sundry shop owner. He got into the game when he decided to help farmers collect coffee beans to sell to other retailers, to generate side income.
After meeting a master roaster from Seremban, he was inspired to start roasting coffee beans himself. And in 1968 he founded Kwo Zha B, which translates to “traditional” and “old taste” in Hokkien.
It took hard work and perseverance for Kip Seng to master coffee roasting, given his lack of experience and expertise. Through trial and error, and taking into account customers’ feedback, he achieved the “secret recipe” that the younger Lims still use to this day.
“We use 100% organic and locally sourced Liberica coffee beans from a plantation,” Chee Keong proudly shares. This means their beans are low in acidity and rich in aroma, providing a different flavour profile compared with Robusta coffee.
Kwo Zha B’s range comprises its bestselling signature black coffee, and white coffee without any added sugar, margarine or salt – both available in easy-to-serve sachets.
Roasting the coffee beans can be time-consuming, but the end result makes it worthwhile. Chee Keong says they previously used wood and charcoal as fuel, but the process took too long and was not eco-friendly.
These days they use gas to fry and roast the beans, a process done by hand and with the help of machines.
Old roots, new shoots
According to Chee Keong, his father had helped his grandfather with the business from a young age. “There is no specific year when my dad took over,” Chee Keong explains, adding that he himself became the owner in 2010.
Ah Kok continues to help roast the beans to this day.
Part of Chee Keong’s routine when he took over was to ride his motorcycle to Lover’s Bridge, a tourist spot in Tanjung Sepat, to try and sell their coffee.
It was something his father used to do, as they did not have a physical store prior to August 2010. Coffee was primarily sold through word of mouth and by going around on their motorcycles to reach out to villagers and visitors.
“Homemade coffee powder, authentic with no preservatives, would you like to try?” was a sentence Chee Keong would often direct at passersby, he recalls.
“Some days it would work and I would get customers. Other days, it would not,” Chee Keong laughs fondly.
His role these days is much different. Having opened the store 11 years ago, Chee Keong now plays a big part in the direction and growth of the company, focusing on roasting the beans and finding more business opportunities within the tourism industry.
His wife Siok Mooi manages customers and supplies coffee to online merchants.
Like his grandfather and father before him, Chee Keong takes into account customers’ feedback, and criticism becomes his motivation to keep improving.
Worldwide attention
In pre-pandemic days, the business would receive customers from all over, including regulars from Australia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore.
One unforgettable moment was when an Australian journalist came to the store and was so amazed by their coffee, he brought 60 other foreigners with him during his next visit.
Hopefully, as movement restrictions are lifted, tourists will be able to return to the store in greater numbers.
The family adheres to the principle of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and aren’t swayed into exploring more tech-savvy approaches to creating and mass-marketing their coffee.
That said, Chee Keong says they have always wanted to explore drip coffee but lack the manpower to diversify. “Perhaps it could be one of our new products in the future,” he suggests.
As for the next generation of Lims? “My wife and I will not force our daughters to continue the business. They might have their own plans and we will fully respect their decisions.
“But of course, I will be more than happy if they want to take over the business,” he chuckles.
Kwo Zha B coffee can be purchased from its store in Tanjung Sepat or via the Shopee and Lazada platforms. For more information, contact 012-3227784 or email [email protected].
Kwo Zha B Coffee
15, Medan Selera Lorong 3
Tanjung Sepat, 42800
Selangor
Business hours:
10am-5pm: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
8:30am-5:30pm: Saturday and Sunday
Closed on Wednesdays