Malaysia’s homegrown shaker fries brand Happy Potato has accelerated its international franchise expansion, entering Bangladesh, Indonesia, China and Cambodia within just six months to grow its network to 126 outlets across five countries. The rapid rollout marks the brand’s fastest growth since its launch in 2019 and underscores its ambitions to become one of Southeast Asia’s leading quick-service snack franchises.
The expansion brings Happy Potato’s footprint to 117 outlets across Malaysia, alongside three outlets in Bangladesh and two outlets each in Indonesia, China and Cambodia. The company said the overseas growth follows a period of strong domestic expansion, during which it added 98 Malaysian outlets between 2024 and 2025, nearly doubling its presence in its home market.
Founded in Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, in 2019 with a single outlet, Happy Potato expanded into Peninsular Malaysia in 2023 before rapidly scaling through franchising. Its international journey began in February 2026 with Bangladesh and Indonesia, followed by China in May and Cambodia in July.
Edmund Lim, CEO and Co-Founder of Happy Potato, said the company’s international growth was built on years of strengthening its franchise platform before entering overseas markets. “Opening an outlet is only one part of expansion. The bigger challenge is making sure customers receive the same experience, product quality and service standards regardless of where they visit us. That requires the right operating systems, franchise support and local partners.”
Lim added: “The past six months have allowed us to put those systems into practice across different markets. Every country operates differently, so each opening has strengthened our understanding of how to scale the business while staying consistent with what customers expect from Happy Potato.”
Looking ahead, the company has outlined an ambitious 2028 growth plan, targeting 200 outlets across Malaysia while expanding into three to five additional Asian markets, signalling continued opportunities for master franchise and area development partners.
To maintain product consistency across multiple markets, Happy Potato has partnered with McCain Foods, using fries with a specially engineered crispy coating designed to preserve texture during takeaway and delivery. According to the company, maintaining consistent product quality is central to supporting its growing international franchise network.
Alongside its expansion, Happy Potato recently celebrated its seventh anniversary and World Fries Day with an “Unlimited Free Flow Shaker Fries” promotion in Malaysia and has launched its nationwide Happy Shake campaign, designed to boost customer engagement through interactive experiences, lucky draws and social media activations.
Happy Potato positions itself as Malaysia’s No. 1 shaker fries brand and one of the country’s fastest-growing homegrown F&B franchise concepts. The company offers franchise opportunities for both domestic and international partners, promoting a simple operating model focused on fries-based snack products. Following its rapid expansion to 126 outlets across five countries, the brand aims to reach 200 Malaysian stores by 2028 while expanding into additional Asian markets through franchising.
