ON the sandwich shop spectrum, O’Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Malaysia (O’Briens) falls on the slightly more premium end but customers are known to get what they pay for – sandwiches crafted to international standards with high-quality, fresh ingredients.
Speaking to theSun, O’Briens managing director and master franchise holder Brian Pua explained that the success of the brand over the past two decades is the result of his team’s relentless commitment in upholding the highest standards in food quality, customer service and healthy food products.
Opening its first outlet in Malaysia at Great Eastern Mall in Kuala Lumpur back in 2002, O’Briens quickly expanded under Pua’s stewardship to over 30 locations, largely in urban areas.
Though the “Irish” in its name may give some pause, Pua stressed that O’Briens is halal-certified, which was his very intention from the opening of the initial Malaysian outlet.
“As a cafe offering what many consider comfort food, it was important for us to target the halal status. Now, all our food is halal-certified, so our Muslim customers can enjoy their meals with confidence,” Pua explained.
“From the start, it was very clear how we would serve our customers,” he said.
Healthy eating, local flavours
O’Briens was one of the first businesses in the country’s food and beverage landscape to push the concept of fresh and nutritious food – even if the general awareness on how both went hand in hand with living a healthy lifestyle was not as prevalent.
Pua believes the pandemic drove a change in attitudes.
“It was when people began to have more awareness on the importance of taking care of their immune system by consuming more natural, fresh food products.
“People now look for meals that support their lifestyle, where they want something balanced, fresh and satisfying. We are proud to be part of that movement and it is great to see so many regulars who have made O’Briens part of their everyday routine,” he said.
Yet, O’Briens is not rigid in its offerings. Over time, the brand has adapted – or rather tweaked – its menu to suit local tastes while maintaining its original values.
“Being a Malaysian myself has helped guide O’Briens. In the beginning, we looked at introducing Irish sandwiches, the concept and lifestyle to the Malaysian market. Over time, we looked into the taste of what O’Briens offered,” he said.
Giving an example, Pua cited how Malaysians liked spicy food. This eventually led to the O’Briens menu adopting items such as the Piri-Piri Chicken Multigrain and the Volcanic Chicken Wrap.
“Another thing was the demand for vegetarian options and we answered it with a wide range of vegetarian offerings such as the Watercress Sandwich and even those that combined the spicy and vegetarian taste portfolio, such as the Sundried Tomato on Hot Ciabatta, which is popular with vegetarians,” he pointed out.
“We put in the effort to make each and every sandwich have its own unique identity by increasing the taste portfolio, while staying true to our Irish roots and the philosophy of clean, nutritious eating”.
Listening to lifestyles
Today, O’Briens continues to adapt to what consumers are looking for. To Pua, this means always having his ear to the ground.
On top of integrating new technology into its operations, O’Briens is working with the fitness industry, finding new ways to approach the food and beverage landscape. They are already taking into consideration what gym-goers want.
“We have done surveys with them to develop our salads to be low in carbohydrates and high in protein, while striking a balance between the health aspect and the taste of our food,” Pua said.
While the brand is known for promoting healthy foods and living, one element is conspiciously missing from its clean and attractive menu – nutritional information for each item, with calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats in gram and so on clearly stated.
“We are currently working on it,” Pua exclaimed with a laugh.
“In fact, our halal quality control team already has all the information for each product and very soon, we will incorporate it into our menu.
“We want our customers to know the nutritional value of what they consume and they can plan their meals. That is also what we want to encourage our customers to do, which is to have a balanced diet,” he said.
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