Five years after taking over the 95-year-old Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room in the heart of Kuala Lumpur,  its new owners are seeking a partner to take the brand to Singapore.

Malaysia’s oldest colonial-themed restaurant has kept its historic theme with its dark wood decor, menu and even staff members now in their 70s. It was this heritage that prompted its present MD Low Ching Hoe to find investors when he heard the business was up for sale.

Photographs on the restaurant’s walls and Facebook page show that guests have included such luminaries as AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes and top politicians, including several former prime ministers.

Since Low took over, he has been expanding the business, adding three outlets in the Klang Valley. There have been offers from China, Indonesia and Singapore, where both Raffles Hotel and Genting’s Resorts World Sentosa have approached him in the past few years to open an outlet.
Low has already incorporated a company in Singapore, and with a choice of location is just waiting to find a partner “with the passion and vision”.

By retaining favourites like Hainanese chicken chop, oxtail soup and sizzling steaks on the menu, the new management initially doubled the original restaurant’s revenue to about RM3 million (US$726,630) monthly after an initial investment of RM1.5 million.

To overcome doubts about authenticity, Low has placed his longest-serving staff members (around since the 1970s) as “brand ambassadors” across his outlets.