The 9-to-5 workday seems to be getting increasingly obsolete, especially with the change in our working habits after the pandemic. According to a report by human resource solutions provider Employment Hero, more than half of Malaysian employees feel burnt out from work.
Couple Nik Kai Wen and Liu Ching Tsi decided quickly after starting the work, sleep, repeat hamster wheel of office life that it was not for them. After graduating two years ago (Nik holds a Business degree from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman), working office jobs for a short amount of time exhausted them.
After deliberating and struggling over the matter, they came upon what is a fad in China, but what not many Malaysians know about––mobile baristas. It combined their love of traveling and camping and they liked the feeling of being free and unconstrained.
In October 2022, they embarked on their entrepreneurial journey called ‘No Nine to Five’. It took them three months to complete their green Mitsubishi Pajero including repairing, painting and building the interior which naturally cost them a huge sum too. Their vehicle has been modified so that their boot holds an espresso maker while running on a power station while their roof rack enables them to take a seat on top of their car.
After making the necessary preparations, it was time to go all in and they embarked on their new journey. The two quit their jobs and began their free lives as self-declared ‘vagrants’ where they camp while selling coffee. They even brought along their pet cats along for their adventure instead of leaving them at home.
Nik and Liu keep their menu to five options: Americano, Latte, Mocha, Chocolate, and Matcha, either hot or iced with prices ranging from RM8 to RM14. The reason for this is to keep things simple “because we believe in making life easier for everyone. But even with only five choices, some customers still take ages to decide!”, they posted on their Instagram page. Their highest record so far is selling 50 cups in 15 minutes.
They have even inspired other hopeful mobile baristas such as D’ For Lab, who are based in Penang and helped them to fix their power supple and technical issues. On top of that, they collaborated with Grey Artwork, a Penang artist to create their own postcards featuring illustrations of their coffee cart. No Nine to Five have even launched their own coffee beans and drip bag which they sell on Shopee.
Their travels have brought them to Langkawi Island, Penang, Taiping, Setapak, Teluk Intan, Kuala Selangor, Kuantan, and other destinations in Peninsular Malaysia so far. They then plan to head to East Malaysia and then Thailand. Their dream is eventually to travel all over the world and share their menu with others.
Keep an eye out for them the next time they’re in your area!
Contact them at 018-3240603 or follow No Nine to Five on Instagram