Not every great business begins with a big business plan. Sometimes, it starts with three friends, a love for food and a willingness to experiment.
That is essentially the story behind myBurgerLab, one of Malaysia’s best-known homegrown burger brands. Established in 2012, the brand began with a modest shop in Sea Park, Petaling Jaya, and an ambitious idea: to make really good, juicy burgers on fresh buns, without taking shortcuts.
More than a decade later, myBurgerLab has grown from that neighbourhood burger joint into a multi-location Malaysian brand, while keeping its playful “Burger Lab” spirit alive.
From Engineering to Burgers
The founders did not exactly follow the conventional F&B route.
Chin Ren Yi, Teoh Wee Kiat and Cheah Chang Ming came from engineering, business and finance backgrounds rather than professional culinary training. Ren Yi’s experience travelling and working in the United States exposed him to burger brands such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, inspiring the idea of creating a Malaysian take on the modern burger joint.
So, instead of waiting until everything was perfect, the trio decided to learn by doing. And that experimental mindset eventually became part of the brand itself.
Welcome to the Burger Lab
The name says it all.
myBurgerLab was built around the idea of experimenting with food, combining unexpected ingredients, testing new flavours and giving Malaysians something beyond the usual burger.
Its menu has featured combinations that sound almost mischievous, from peanut butter and jelly cheeseburgers to burgers with asam boi-pickled onions. Its current offerings span beef, fried chicken and meatless options, including its signature bamboo charcoal buns.
The philosophy is surprisingly simple: keep experimenting, but never compromise on the food.
The brand says its buns are prepared from scratch and baked fresh daily, while its beef patties are ground daily and hand-packed to preserve freshness and juiciness. In other words, the “lab” is not just a clever name. It is the way the business thinks.
When Customers Become the Marketing Team
One of myBurgerLab’s early advantages was its ability to create a community around the food. When the first outlet opened on 10 July 2012, it reportedly sold out on its very first day. Word spread, queues followed, and the small Sea Park outlet quickly developed a following.
The founders have long emphasised the importance of treating customers well, believing that happy customers naturally become the brand’s best advocates. It was a particularly clever approach for a young business without the huge advertising budgets of international fast-food chains. Instead of shouting louder, myBurgerLab gave people something worth talking about.
The Malaysian Recipe for a Brand
myBurgerLab shows that Malaysian brands do not necessarily need to imitate global giants to stand out. Sometimes, the winning formula is to take inspiration from the world, add a distinctly local personality and then have the courage to experiment.
After all, every great idea has to start somewhere. For myBurgerLab, it started in a small Sea Park shop, with a burger, a few friends and a willingness to see what would happen if they pushed the boundaries. One burger led to another, and before long, an experiment had become a brand.
Who says a burger has to be ordinary? myBurgerLab built its identity by experimenting with ideas, flavours, and experiences—and proving that doing things differently can leave a lasting impression. The Leadership Excellence Award celebrates leaders who bring that same courage and creativity to the table. Nominate a leader who isn’t afraid to shake things up.
