From young franchisee to regional owner, Mohamed Abdullah shares his journey of resilience in growing his brand within and beyond Singapore.
“There’s a slice for everyone – that is our slogan. Because it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy, a girl, rich, poor, Indian, Malay, Chinese, vegetarian, non-vegetarian or what have you. There’s something for everyone to enjoy at Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza.
I think Singaporeans look at us as a very local and homegrown brand. They keep us close to their hearts because we’re price-sensitive as well. That is not to say our offerings are not excellent. Our pizzas are cheap, but they’re also really good and yummy.
We could elevate our pizzas and make them more artisan and upscale if we wanted to, but what for? That defeats our purpose. We’re thinking of army boys and school kids who want something affordable to eat, and struggling parents with families to feed.
We get along really well with the owner in Canada. He likes my passion and vision for the brand, and leaves the company’s direction in the Asian region entirely to me.
I still remember my first day after taking over. I was at our HQ in Katong, about to meet some guy who wanted to sell us some software. When I introduced myself as the new regional owner of Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza, his reply was, ‘You mean you guys still exist?’
That question struck me instantly, and I realised that there were people who didn’t even know we still exist. As soon as the guy left, I told my team that my first goal was to announce to everyone that Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza is still alive.
So we invested in TV, radio and social media. We blasted everywhere that we’re back – we never even left! And now everyone knows. Well, maybe not everyone, but a large and significant fraction of Singapore knows. Nobody will question if we even exist anymore.
My beginnings in the company? I was actually a franchisee of two outlets – namely Yishun and Ang Mo Kio – for 17 years. As a franchisee, what I could do was very limited. Everything was directed by the master franchisee who owned Hobbs Holding.
I was only 24 when I joined the company, and I didn’t have much say in the business. I was a newbie; a youngster. Everyone else was in their forties and fifties. They had proven players in the market, so why would they want to listen to me?
But as the years went by, my frustrations grew. I really felt like the company was lagging behind. It was so far from what the current trend was. Our offerings were not creative, and nobody was even looking at the company’s branding or digital marketing.
What truly changed the game for us was COVID-19. Many businesses looked at it as the bringer of doom, but it saved us, ironically. Because we were very early in doing food deliveries, people started ordering from us while they were in quarantine.
Just like that, we became visible and relevant again. And as people started noticing us once more, I knew that it was crucial to ride the wave. I wanted to take advantage of our spike in popularity, but I knew that I couldn’t do it as a franchisee. Nobody would listen to me.
For Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza to succeed, I had to buy over the company and make major changes. So I gathered a group of friends and business partners who felt the same way. Together, we came up with a proposal and bought the brand from the master franchisee.
Ever since I’ve taken over, we’ve introduced new pizza flavours to excite the new generation of youngsters. That is always a challenge, because their engagement with anything new and exciting is short lived. Just look at how many bubble tea shops have opened and closed.
We’ve also opened more outlets in Singapore. I had to really fight for our outlet at the National Stadium. But it’s worth it because we want to be closely associated with sports in Singapore. We were actually the official pizza partners for the Singapore Premier League.
Yes, there are concrete plans to have a presence outside of Singapore. We currently have three outlets in India – two in Chennai and one in Mumbai. We also have interested parties in Malaysia, and we’re speaking to a potential franchisee in Indonesia.
Negotiations can be tricky because every market is different. Most franchisees just want to invest and be scalable. They’re not interested in getting their hands dirty with the actual business of making and selling pizzas. So I have to come up with a formula that works.
It’s a challenge, without a doubt. My mind is constantly preoccupied with thoughts of work and family every day. But I love the challenge, because I truly believe Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza is a sleeping giant, and I’m determined to awaken its massive potential with my team.
If you were to ask me what I want to achieve in five years’ time, my target has always been a total of 50 outlets in the region. When I took over, we had 16 outlets. Now, we have 27 outlets in Singapore and the region. We’re halfway there.
When I hit 50, I think I can pat myself on the shoulder and say, ‘Good job.’ I came, bought the brand and did my best to bring it to the next level. That would be a nice legacy to have people talk about in the future.” – Mohamed Abdullah, Owner of Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza
Interview by Arman Shah
Chan Ye Pan
I am owner of a food takeaway space in D15, but not at Tanjong Katong. I have been trying to contact Canadian 2 for1 Pizza for some time. I had tried contacting your HR & Administration. I would like to seek a call back on the opportunity to work together. 93660165 YP