But like many homemakers, her talents rarely extended beyond the family kitchen. With caregiving responsibilities taking priority, the opportunity to turn that passion into a source of income never materialised.
It wasn’t just his mother. His friend of nearly 20 years, Richard E Cristhappa, had seen something similar at his home. His wife, too, loved to cook, but caring for their three young children made it difficult to turn her skill into a business.
For Arun, it was a pattern he could not ignore. “How can we empower people like them to become micro-entrepreneurs – to work from home, do what they enjoy, earn a living and eventually grow their business into something sustainable?” Arun told FMT Lifestyle.
Over time, Arun also noticed a shift in how people hosted events.
“Before, you’d have one big function for a large group – like a 16th or 21st birthday party. Now, people are hosting smaller, more frequent gatherings such as gender reveals and baby showers,” Arun said.
While large caterers typically handle big functions, smaller occasions are where home-based cooks can thrive.
These observations led Arun and Richard to introduce “dapor”, a mobile app designed to connect caterers, particularly home-based ones, with potential customers.
Since its soft launch in December 2022, 700 users and 22 caterers have signed up. More than half of these caterers are home-based, and most are women.
Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the platform brings together caterers offering a wide variety of cuisine, from Malay and Indian to Chinese, Western and Japanese.
Caterers can also upload videos to their profiles and display certifications such as halal status, which the “dapor” team verifies.
Another key feature is the “Request for Quotation” (RFQ) tool, where users can post their requirements such as their budget and dietary needs like halal options.
“The RFQ allows you to be more explorative. You can say, ‘I’m looking for Western food and my budget is RM20 per pax – surprise me’,” said Arun, 38.
Keeping a personal touch, the “dapor” team reaches out to customers upon receiving the RFQ to better understand each request. Then, they gather quotations, shortlist the best matches and present the most suitable options.
“This way, customers don’t have to spend time communicating with multiple caterers – they only deal with a single point of contact from ‘dapor’. For caterers, we manage the customers on their behalf,” Arun explained.
Home-based caterers, he added, may not always have the systems in place to engage corporate clients, such as issuing invoices or accepting credit card payments. “That’s where we come in to help bridge the gap,” said Arun.
For now, all caterers on the platform are based in the Klang Valley, although they hope to expand nationwide in the future, and eventually across Southeast Asia.
The app will be officially launched on Mother’s Day, a date chosen with intention. “It’s not just a tribute to my mother, but to all mother figures,” said Arun.
While the launch honours mothers, Arun emphasised the platform is open to anyone looking to turn their cooking skills into a business.
Subscription fees are RM50 monthly for home-based caterers and RM100 for more established, non-home-based ones. “For a general user, it’s free,” added Richard, 37.
To mark the launch, caterers who sign up between May 1-31 will enjoy a three-month free subscription, along with additional benefits like marketing support.
Looking ahead, the team plans to refine the platform further.
“We want to ensure we have a deep understanding of the end-to-end process first, so we can identify any pain points and automate it in the best way possible,” said Arun, adding that their vision is to build the largest digital marketplace of home-based caterers in Malaysia.
“Ultimately, our hope is, by empowering home-based caterers, we can help them uplift their lives and earn a sustainable income,” Richard concluded.
Click the links below to download ‘dapor’:
Learn more about ‘dapor’ on its website, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
For enquiries, contact 012-238 7026.