When Nor Arieni Adriena Mohd Ritzal, more commonly known as Arieni, first began her career, the classroom was where she thought she belonged. Trained in Early Childhood Education, she spent her early working years teaching young children, learning patience, structure and the quiet art of nurturing confidence in others.
“I didn’t know it then,” Arieni, Founder of Gula Cakery Sdn Bhd reflects, “but those values became the foundation of how I built Gula Cakery.”
Today, Gula Cakery, the bakery-café brand she founded in 2015 in Kota Kemuning, has grown into a 19-outlet chain across Malaysia, with projected sales of RM20 million in 2025. The journey, she says, has been anything but linear.
Food, however, was always present quietly and steadily.
As a teenager, she shares with Disruptr, she baked referring to her grandmother’s handwritten recipe book, discovering the same satisfaction she found in teaching, allowing her to create moments of joy for others. She then deepened this passion with formal culinary training and, by 2009, began baking from home, selling cakes to friends and family, hosting small classes and manning stalls at local bazaars.
Her mother was there from the beginning, helping set up classes in the living room, and encouraging her to lean into what she loved. Six years later, she took the leap.
The First Step
By 2015, Arieni decided to fully transition into the F&B industry and opened the first Gula Cakery outlet in Kota Kemuning. There were no systems then, no polished supply chain, no HR department and no central kitchen.
She was in the back baking, personally sourcing the ingredients and managing orders with the help of her family.
“It got chaotic at times,” she admits. “But every customer who came back for another slice reminded us why we were doing this,” she adds. The brand grew one cake at a time, layering the business with passion and perseverance.
Scaling Without Losing the Soul
Growth, of course, complicates romance. What began as a neighbourhood café soon multiplied into a network of outlets and with expansion came the hardest challenge of all, consistency and maintaining quality.
“How do you make sure the cake tastes the same and service is equally consistent across each branch?” she asks.
Expansion decisions were primarily driven by a disciplined, data-led approach which centered on customer demand, accessibility and long-term community alignment. The team led by Arieni assessed each location based on footfall patterns, demographic profiles, purchasing power, and strategic fit with Gula Cakery’s brand values.
“Growing too quickly without the right systems can dilute performance,” she says. “We had to make sure our readiness matched our ambition.”
“We’ve always been strongest where customers are seeking familiarity,” she says. “Food made with intention.”
A Crowded and Costly Market
Malaysia’s F&B landscape has become crowded and costly.
“Many F&B businesses fail because they underestimate financial discipline,” she says. “Cash flow matters. Systems matter. You must be ready to adapt when customer preferences change.”
Rising ingredient costs have forced the team to rethink sourcing and reduce wastage. Selective price adjustments do take place but the focus remains on value and experience.
“There’s always pressure,” she admits. “But we’ve chosen to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.”
Labour shortages added another layer of strain. Instead of chasing experienced hires, Gula Cakery began developing talent internally rather than relying solely on experienced hires. Arieni stresses that retention is equally important hence the emphasis on career progression, fair remuneration and a supportive work culture.
Gula Cakery also provides opportunities for staff to learn beyond their roles for example, exposure to baking classes or management training, which in the process aids in keeping the team motivated and engaged.
The Emotion Behind a Brand
Customer loyalty today, she says, is earned through emotional connection, not points, discounts or gimmicks.
That connection has been strengthened through community-led initiatives including teaching over 2,000 baking students, collaborations with brands like Unifi, Nestum and Sunlight, and recognition such as the Nona Best Superwoman Award and Alliance Bank’s BizSmart Challenge.
Her time at Oxford’s LEAP Programme helped sharpen her belief that Malaysian brands can and should compete alongside international names.
But even success has an anchor.
“I still personally oversee our recipes,” she says, smiling. “Every product must feel like it carries a piece of us.”
Going Beyond Klang Valley
For 2026, Gula Cakery plans to expand beyond its home base in the Klang Valley, gently and deliberately into the southern region, Greater Klang Valley growth corridors like Bangi, and selected towns along the East Coast and northern regions.
“We’re ready,” she says. “But we’re also cautious. Growth must never come at the expense of who we are.” Gula Cakery’s identity, the one rooted in care, consistency, and community, remains unchanged from the days when she baked from her grandmother’s recipe book.
The mission, she says, is still simple, “For us, growth is not just about footprint expansion, but about building meaningful and lasting connections as we move beyond the Klang Valley,” she concludes.