ALEX CHEAH

39 Co-founder, KARLS Group

Hailing from an engineering background, Alex Cheah is part of the KARLS Group, a lifestyle hospitality group he runs with his twin brother Kelvin Cheah, chef Raymond Tham, and two other partners.

Managing and operating award-winning restaurants in Kuala Lumpur is no easy feat, but for Alex, he basks in the challenge of continually achieving success just like his critically acclaimed restaurants: Beta KL for local fusion fare; Skillet@163 for contemporary European dining; and his latest venture, Burnt & Co., which features a sustainable BBQ and grill kitchen concept.

Running an engineering firm and being a restaurateur at the same time is no easy task, but for Alex it was his passion for food that drew him into what could sometimes be an unforgiving industry, with countless of challenges especially during the pandemic.

“The F&B industry is always more exciting and challenging to me. So that is why in terms of my professional time spent, it is always more towards running the restaurants and growing them,” shares Alex.

Next on Alex’s agenda is to expand the KARLS Group to offer more artisanal products to the masses via a central kitchen – like their delectable mooncakes – as well as organising more lifestyle events across the country; all for the love of F&B.