Turning friendship into a business partnership
Founders can attest to the fact that running a business is a constant, ever-evolving commitment. For the owners of Overrice, they had barely moved into a physical stall in a food court when it had to shut down. Ex-colleagues turned friends and now business partners, the four gentlemen behind the rice bowls inspired by the famous The Halal Guys in NYC went on a hiatus for almost three months to search for a new shop. Hakim Abdullah, one of the co-owners, mentioned that finding the best venue was crucial to brand-building. Whilst Overrice has its origins as a home-based business, turning it into a serious brand has been on top of the founders’ minds since day one. Today, Overrice sits in the hip Arab St enclave, dishing out bowls after bowls of their hearty meat over rice. Despite the recent successes, Hakim sees more opportunities for improvements and continually seeks feedback from customers.
“It’s fun working with friends. We already have a mutual understanding with each other, but through Overrice, we have learnt to appreciate the different sides of each other more. I would say we have gotten even closer in the last few months.”
—Hakim Abdullah, co-owner of Overrice