Deaf-In-Business Cafe & Catering

The latte made by Kok Jiann Cheng, the hearing impaired barista at Deaf-In-Business (DIB) Cafe & Catering quickly warmed me up on a cool and rainy after-noon.

The coffee has a rich aroma with a well-balanced sweetness and acidity giving a smooth aftertaste.

Gracing its surface is a cute little piece of latte art that was carefully crafted by the 25-year-old, who has been working there for about five years along with five other employees with hearing impairments.

The coffee here is made out of two types of coffee beans, namely the Sumatra Mandheling and Brazil Santos, according to Dr Allen Teh, founder of DIB Cafe & Catering.

“These coffee beans have aromas similar to the Hawaiian coffee, which we used to sell here. We stopped selling Hawaiian coffee as the cost of importing roasted coffee beans from Hawaii became too expensive,” he said.

Besides coffee, the cafe also serves a wide range of delicacies, from western food to local delights and even imported Ice Cream from Australia.

Located at Menara Gamuda in PJ Trade Centre, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, DIB Cafe & Catering is a flagship social enterprise outlet initiated by Teh.

Teh was the manager of the first deaf-operated KFC outlet incorporated in 1985 at Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur and he thought of the five deaf KFC staff he used to work with when he decided to open the first DIB outlet.

The DIB cafe was incorporated in Damansara Perdana in 2011 with help from the five former KFC staff.

The objective of starting the cafe was to restore hope and dignity to deaf people by improving their livelihood through providing skills training, unbiased employment and ideas for business entrepreneurship.

Through the cafe, Teh hopes to make an impact on four stakeholders, namely the hearing-impaired community, the parents of deaf people, the government and the general public.

“The purpose is to encourage the deaf community to be independent and teach them skills that could help them start their own careers in the future. This is also aimed at their parents to encourage them to not over-protect their children.

“On the other two stakeholders, we are hoping that the government can do something to help this community while the public, including companies, can offer more opportunities for deaf people to work, so that they can participate equally in society,” he explained.

It has not been an easy journey for the 56-year-old and he has thought about quitting as he gets older. But the strong bond shared between his staff and him is what keeps him motivated to carry on.

“The people here are my family and I feel thankful to them. And we are led by our hearts, never by a business strategy,” he concludes.

Currently, DIB Cafe & Catering operates from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays. It is closed on weekends.

DIB Cafe & Catering

Address: 1st Floor, Menara Gamuda,

PJ Trade Centre, No 8, Jalan PJU 8/8A,

Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya

Contact: (019) 352 3082

Facebook: DIB Restaurant Cafe & Catering

Website: dibz2h.rocks

This report is part of the "Food For Thought" segment in Live! 2019.

This story first appeared in Live! 2019 magazine. Download your copy of the magazine here.