Couple Builds Charming Little Kampung Coffee Shop From Scratch

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Musicians have become chefs, pilots are working hard as delivery riders, and many others have delved into things completely different from what they initially set out to do.

Life can be unpredictable. But if there's one thing this pandemic has taught us, it's that humans are resilient creatures.  

Meet Syafiq and his wife Afiqah, who are a great example of this. In February 2021, the couple opened a tiny café tucked away in a kampung in Negeri Sembilan.

Prior to the pandemic, Syafiq was completing his masters in aerospace engineering, while his wife was a software engineer. When the pandemic hit, he revealed to SAYS that he struggled with finding a job, as most companies had cut down on hiring budgets.

The duo, who are originally from Selayang, then decided to open their own little coffee shop, Aqoffee, just a stone's throw away from their home. It's also located within the same vicinity as their cosy, colourful guest house (which is temporarily closed due to upgrading works) called Homestay Hujung Kampung.

Like many small businesses in the beginning stages, they faced their own set of challenges. He shared that during Ramadhan last year, their sales remained stagnant as most customers tend to go for sweeter, refreshing drinks instead of coffee.

The homestay and café were also victims to a recent flood.

"I think the biggest win is that we built our small coffee shop by ourselves. It may be small, but we did it and we are proud of it," he told SAYS.

At the moment, Aqoffee's bestselling items are caramel macchiato, matcha latte, and a chocolate drink. Though, Syafiq's personal favourites, he added, are the simpler drinks like latte, flat white, and black coffee.

The couple shared that they have plans to make an outdoor kitchen soon in order to serve food, such as pastries and pasta, with the hope of opening more outlets eventually.

"We are planning to expand our outlet to several locations. Maybe one in Klang Valley and another in Penang area."

The café is open daily, except on Wednesdays, from 10am to 7pm.

It's located in Kampung Siliau, Rantau. The exact location can be found on their Instagram. 

Check out Aqoffee's Instagram.