The Story Behind Fowlboys’ Fried Chicken Phenomenon

By Isha Suraya Rosli

AMPANG - What began as a delivery-only fried chicken business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a big name in Klang Valley’s competitive F&B scene.

Known for introducing Southern-style fried chicken to local taste buds, Fowlboys has just opened its newest outlet at The Campus Ampang, which is also known as KL’s latest lifestyle hub, marking the next phase of their expansion. 

The idea behind Fowlboys was brought about in 2019, when the founders were eager to contribute something new to the food scene here in Klang Valley. After noticing a gap in the existing fried chicken market, they began to put their heads together and spent six months testing recipes before launching the brand in 2020. 

“At first, I thought fried chicken was already oversaturated,” the founder, Shaq recalls. “But when I looked closer, there were fast food chains, Malay styles, Korean styles – no one was really doing this Southern take.”

We spoke to the owner, Shaq.

Plans for a pop-up were scrapped due to the pandemic, so they instead launched as a delivery-only brand.

When the first Movement Control Order (MCO) was introduced in March 2020, Malaysians inevitably turned to food delivery. Fowlboys saw this as an opportunity and operated at full capacity without spending a single cent on marketing. 

“It was all word of mouth and Instagram. For the first six to eight months, we didn’t spend a single ringgit on advertising,” he says.

In 2021, they opened their first dine-in outlet in 2021, which was a dramatic transition from managing only home deliveries. At this point, they had to navigate serving a significantly larger number of customers. 

“Reception was insane. People queued up,” the founder shared. “But we weren’t prepared. Quality control slipped and we learned the hard way.” 

After learning from their early struggles, Fowlboys had the opportunity to expand to Sri Hartamas and recently The Campus Ampang – each location showing a different side of the brand. “We used to focus on younger Gen Zs and students,” Shaq explains. “But families have become a big part of our customer base. The Campus just made sense – it’s made for families.” 

The Campus outlet shows a more mature look, along with a wider menu to cater to everyone – from chicken lovers to pasta fans.

Fowlboys’ new look at The Campus Ampang.

Despite their rising popularity and steady reception, the team isn’t in a rush to expand further. “We’re probably looking at just five outlets in the Klang Valley,” he said. “Fowlboys was never meant to be a franchise.”

The goal over the next year or two is to stay true to what makes the brand special. “If we mushroom everywhere, we lose what made this special in the first place.” Instead of focusing on opening new outlets, they are more interested in exploring different concepts on how to grow their brand.

As they settle into The Campus Ampang, their journey shows that the process of building a brand is rarely straightforward, and that success comes from the result of trial and error and staying true to your goals.