Selling Smiles

Cheah See Yeong successfully runs renowned American ice cream brand Baskin Robbins in Malaysia. He speaks to Tien Chew about his journey

Ice cream is a timeless frozen treat that delights kids and adults alike. Cheah See Yeong, the president of Golden Scoop Sdn Bhd, the company behind Baskin Robbins Malaysia, is an observant man with a passion for all things beautiful. He learnt how to better appreciate things of quality while working for his family business supplying building materials. When American fast food behemoth Mcdonald’s first landed in Malaysia in 1982, a then young Cheah began to dream of one day owning a similar self-sustaining business. A trip to the US in his late twenties changed his life when he tried Baskin Robbins ice cream for the first time. Knowing how to distinguish the finer things in life would be a trait that would help him make the right decision in bringing the ice cream home. Baskin Robbins was founded in 1945 and has since then created more than a thousand flavours. It commands a strong international presence and it was this particular quality that attracted Cheah to the American icy delight. “When I tried Baskin Robbins for the first time I was wowed! Because it was so good, I believed that it had great potential here in Malaysia,” Cheah says. “People wouldn’t reject anything that is good,” he adds. And he was right. When the first Baskin Robbins store opened in Subang Parade 25 years ago, he faced difficulty because people weren’t used to the idea of paying a price equivalent to two bowls of noodles for a junior scoop at that point in time. The rise of the middle class soon changed all that, as more individuals could afford to spend on imported goods and Baskin Robbins’ popularity began to grow due to its unique tastes and dizzying array of flavours. According to Cheah, the brand currently has more than 120 outlets around Malaysia, with the goal of having 200 stores operating by 2020. With his daughter Charmaine running the company as the vice-president alongside him, he wants to eventually make the business truly self-sustaining for him to pursue his other dreams. “Ice cream is fun food, it is happy food. When you eat ice cream, you should be in a relaxed mood. It is funny, but sometimes when you think about ice cream you feel lighthearted,” says Cheah. To make it in the ice cream business one has to have a lively personality such as Cheah does. He is also a people person, understanding that it’s the key to maintaining a profitable ice cream business. You can’t discount his outlook when you see both children and adults walk into a Baskin Robbins store and they become so excited with all the flavours and colours. Indeed, the core of his business is people, and this extends to his staff as well. “You have to treat your staff well before they can treat your customer well,” advises Cheah sagely. He strongly believes you should never abandon your dreams, as he warns that people often lose sight of their past desires as they get caught up in the rat race. “There was a Japanese man who gave me a piece of advice that stuck. He said, ‘follow the stream but never lose sight of your destiny’. This is very important because there will be others in life who can influence you to lose sight of your dreams.” For him, living a good life is a dream come true and is in balance to the hard work he has put in. Those who know Cheah will attest that he is a lover of good food. He is the sort of person who would drive miles just to get his favourite bowl of noodles. Food aside, he also loves travelling and driving finely built automobiles, two passions that he sometimes combines. Without a doubt, Cheah’s infectious enthusiasm for the things he loves has successfully helped him build an accomplished ice cream empire.

“Follow the stream but never lose sight of your destiny”