From small spuds to big success: Batu Pahat youth turns RM100 into thriving jacket potato business

BATU PAHAT, July 28 — Starting with just six baked potatoes sold outside his home each day, a young entrepreneur has grown his jacket potato business, also known as spud potato, to more than 250 servings daily, following an overwhelming response from customers.

D’s Kentang founder Danish Ekmal Edham, 23, said the business, which started on a small scale in January at Taman Perdana here, expanded rapidly within six months, driven by rising demand for the popular dish in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Middle East.

The former barista at a well-known coffee chain said his interest in venturing into business began after he struggled to find the dish in Batu Pahat.

“Last November, I had a craving for jacket potato, but it was difficult to find one in Batu Pahat. So I tried learning how to make it myself by watching videos on social media.

“It took me almost three weeks of experimenting. I failed many times, and my mother and family members became my taste testers before I finally developed the recipe that is now well received by customers,” he told Bernama recently.

The Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Melaka Diploma in Business Management graduate said the knowledge he gained at university helped him manage the business operations, while he also received strong support from his parents, Norazah Zainal, 50, and Edham Wahab, 50.

Danish Ekmal said rising demand has led him to seek help from his younger sister, Dya Edlyn Edham, 22, as well as three part-time workers to ensure D’s Kentang operates smoothly.

Four types of jacket potato toppings — Original Classic (baked beans), Creamy Chicken, Black Pepper Beef, and Big Mac Beef — are offered at D’s Kentang in Taman Perdana, a business run by 23-year-old Danish Ekmal Edham. — Bernama pic

He said the menu now features four main options — original classic with baked beans, creamy chicken, black pepper beef and Big Mac beef — while customers can also choose a combination of two flavours in one serving.

“Besides customers from around Batu Pahat, I also receive customers from Muar and Kluang. There are even regular customers from Singapore who come to buy every week.

“I also have customers from Arab countries such as Syria and Jordan, who are students at higher learning institutions in this district,” he said.

To maintain the quality of his dishes, he only uses Russet potatoes, which have a crispier texture after baking compared with regular potatoes that tend to become softer.

With an initial capital of about RM100, Danish said he now earns gross daily sales of between RM300 and RM600 from his baked potato business.

He said his next target is to open a kiosk at commercial premises or a shopping centre to further expand the business.

Danish Ekmal aims to increase sales to 500 servings a day by year-end through more aggressive social media promotions and mobile sales using the car booth sale concept at high-traffic locations.

“I also plan to introduce new toppings every six months so customers will have more choices.

“I constantly seek feedback from customers and continue learning to create new recipes through social media so that the quality and taste of the menu can be improved further,” he added. — Bernama