For someone who says she’s not that ambitious, Anita Ali has certainly done well for herself.
Her success as the founder of the popular Laksa Shack chain of restaurants is all the more special given that she has excelled in an industry she wasn’t trained for and ventured into with hardly any know-how.
Highly-disciplined and never one to allow circumstances to hold her back, Anita, who today manages 25 Laksa Shack outlets nationwide, has weathered many storms to get to where she is.
“I’m a survivor. You can put me anywhere and I will land on my feet, but I don’t deny that the early years were really tough,†said Anita.
Dressed in a pretty, blue patterned baju kurung and with her hair stylishly short, Anita, 44, comes across as a woman who’s very comfortable in her own skin and one who’s clear about where she’s heading.
The former UiTM graduate started right at the bottom of the chain in the food industry, with a roadside stall in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in the ’80s, selling traditional Malay food. Eventually, she moved her business to a food court in Damansara Kim.
Having majored in logistics while at university, Anita had little idea of what the food business entailed, but soon found herself neck-deep in back-breaking chores and a multitude of tasks. Her days started as early as 3am and went on well into the night.
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