Boycott of Western F&B chains a boost for Malaysian names

Consumer shift to local alternatives over Gaza conflict appears to have staying power

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It was a Saturday afternoon in the middle of 2024, and Ms Lailatul Sarahjana Mohd Ismail’s children were asking - again — to go to McDonald's.

But Ms Lailatul, like scores of other Muslims in Malaysia, was boycotting the fast-food chain and other American brands over US support for Israel.

That choice, in solidarity with the people of Gaza, did not override her children’s craving for fried chicken, one of the chain’s most popular offerings in the country.

As the chorus for crispy drumsticks grew louder, Ms Lailatul satisfied their cravings by frying her own at home. And then she went a step further - she launched her own small-scale competitor to the mega chain.

Just over one year in, Ahmad’s Fried Chicken — the brand that Ms Lailatul and her husband, Mr Mohd Taufik Khairuddin, originally started out of a food truck — has grown to 35 outlets. By the end of 2026, that number will soar to about 110.

In Malaysia, customers who have sworn off global restaurant chains in solidarity with Palestine have fuelled a boom in local brands.

Malaysian cafe chain Zuspresso, for instance, which had fewer locations in the country than Starbucks in 2023, doubled its store count in 2024 as Starbucks’ shrank.

Today, the chain known as Zus Coffee is the largest coffee purveyor in Malaysia, with more than 700 outlets that sell pumpkin spice lattes as well as concoctions infused with local flavours such as coconut and palm sugar.