Pepper Labs is known for its previous work with Masala Wheels, a social enterprise that focuses on at-risk youths.
Kitchen Craft aims to help those affected by the pandemic, from fresh graduates unable to find work to those who have lost their jobs in the past year and a half.
Fifteen people will be given the opportunity to run food businesses through a soon-to-be-launched website – not unlike a virtual food court – and will be given full guidance and training, from food preparation and cuisine selection to business acumen.
With their current space at Midtown, Petaling Jaya, Pepper Labs has been able to set up three cloud kitchens. “We are in the process of onboarding entrepreneurs and identifying beneficiaries,” co-founder Kuhan Pathy tells FMT.
Kitchen Craft is aimed at three groups: youth facing extreme unemployment; those in the B40 community who have lost their jobs; and microentrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses.
“All 15 entrepreneurs will select a cuisine and be trained to perfect their dish and business. Each will be given RM1,200 as their base salary, and all proceeds from their businesses will be kept by them,” Kuhan says.
So far, Pepper Labs has taken on board two chefs who faced unemployment for close to two years due to the pandemic. They are now being trained in preparation for the launch of their businesses.
The plan, Kuhan explains, is not only to provide the needy with income but to shape them into becoming business owners. “After six months we will hand ownership of the business over to them,” he states.
One of the chefs, Muhammad Haziq, tells FMT he is grateful not only to have work, but to have been given the opportunity to learn and eventually own his own enterprise.
The 25-year-old culinary arts graduate hopes that, with Kitchen Craft, “standards of living will improve, especially for those in the B40 community”.
Even those who do not have a culinary background can be selected to join the initiative, as they will be mentored by chefs and other professionals so they are equipped with relevant skills and knowledge to run their own business.
Kuhan says they hope to expand the number of cloud kitchens in the near future, to provide more opportunities and improve the livelihoods of those in need.
In the meantime, they are looking for more participants to join Kitchen Craft, with the goal of launching the platform before the New Year.
If you or someone you know would be the perfect fit for Kitchen Craft, fill in the application form here. For further information or enquiries, visit Pepper Labs’ website.