There’s no denying that F&B business in Malaysia has been doing so well that it has become a daily resource. Multiple franchise brands have already eyed our country to expand their business in the global market. From Milkcow Korea to Naughty Nuri to Paris Baguette, another food franchise brand has confirmed that it will expand their franchise in Malaysia by opening its first Malaysia outlet soon.
No prizes for guessing which burger brand is coming to Malaysia, of course. 
Hailing all the way from South California, CaliBurger has confirmed that it is finally opening its first unit in Malaysia by 2015. The confirmation was announced via a press conference that was held at Park Royal Kuala Lumpur.
Despite having been sued by California-based burger chain “In-N-Out” for trademark infringement, it was reported that both CaliBurger and In-N-Out have resolved the issue by changing the names in the menu. For example: the double-patty cheeseburger “Double-Double” in CaliBurger’s menu has been changed to “Cali Double”. Similarly, “Animal Style” french fries were renamed as “Wild Style”.
Source: The SDA Project
Surprisingly, CaliBurger did not open its first outlet in South California or anywhere in US. In fact, CaliBurger’s first-ever outlet is located in Shanghai and the brand has rapidly expanded to around 50 restaurant branches across China. Within 2 years of expansion, the brand now has branches in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Kuwait, Stockholm, Saudi Arabia,London, Washington D.C., and Manila.
While the Californian spirit is what the brand is trying to project, it is the brand identity that matters the most to CaliBurger. Using only the freshest ingredients, the brand aims to serve quality ingredients with hamburger patties made out of imported Australian beef and hand-sliced fries. The brand also sets itself apart from the usual fast food restaurants as CaliBurger promised that no food is pre-made and everything is made fresh in the kitchen.
The queue at CaliBurger outlet in Guangzhou
When it was first opened in Guangzhou, the premium fast food brand was the talk in town for several weeks and had a long queue of people waiting to check out what the brand had in store for them. Calling it the first healthy fast food concept seems unfitting in the context but it is definitely a premium fast food concept with a range of burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and Buffalo wings. Rest assured (for the Muslims), this upcoming fast-food brand will serve halal food to them as they will obtain the halal certification soon.
Although the fries are modeled after In-N-Out’s Animal Fries, the Wild Fries is a secret item which is not on the regular menu. The freshly pared and shredded fries are made to order to fries, covered in melted real American cheese, sweet grilled onions, and their special house-made sauce. Hand-mixed milkshakes and desserts are also available at CaliBurger.
Vijay Chinnasami, CEO, CaliBurger Malaysia and Silas Adler, Global CEO, CaliBurger, showcasing the mouthwatering CaliBuger
The burger chain is brought to us by Vijayan Chinnasami, a principal at the Malaysian firm developing CaliBurger restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. He forged a franchise agreement with Silas Adler, Global CEO of CaliBurger and stated:
Malaysia is one of the fastest growing markets in the world for consumption. CaliBurger Malaysia will be the first premium burger concept in Malaysia that is affordable for the masses. It will also be the first restaurant chain in Southeast Asia where groups of friends and families can come together during certain times for social gaming on the walls of the restaurant.
He announced that the chain is expected to open their first outlet in 2015 but the location is not known yet. The size of the outlet goes with the traditional, casual format ( 1,800 to 2,200 square feet) while a smaller, non-traditional format (500 square feet+) is available for food courts, travel plazas, and other non-traditional real estate opportunities.
Source: Metro UK
Adler also announced that an interactive gaming platform will be launched in its Malaysia outlet and it will be the first group game accessible to CaliBurger customers. The CaliBurger technology team collaborated with key hardware and software partners to develop a customised version of Minecraft for customers to experience the mobile game on the CaliBurger Video Walls through a third person perspective showing all of the players interacting. Specifically, the “CaliBurger Minecraft Video Wall Edition” includes:
- a Hunger Games scenario on a customized “Cali Island” (filled with CaliBurger branding), with a limited duration for play and a defined winner
- a leader board showing top players
- a new third party perspective of the world, with focused views of specific events
CaliBurgerAsia announced the interactive mobile games on the CaliBurger Video Walls will be an integral component of the global brand and it will be made accessible to customers at certain times of the day. John Miller, Chairman of CaliBurger said:
Our interactive gaming platform on the Video Walls is the equivalent of the McDonald’s playground for the 21st Century. Just as the physical playground drew kids to McDonalds for decades, we have created a virtual playground for groups of kids to experience group mobile gaming in a new way, creating a memorable CaliBurger experience that brings target customers back to our restaurants.
CaliBurgerAsia will announce the exact locations of their outlets in Malaysia soon but before the opening of the store, Vijay Chinnasami said that the brand will have food trucks as part of their promotional activities.
For more information, visit CaliBurger’s official website and Facebook page.