By Winnie Chooi

PENANG - In order to pursue his dreams of setting up a dog-friendly restaurant, Chen Yong Fook gave up his job in Kuala Lumpur and return to his hometown in Penang.

Chen started from scratch in F&B industry and established the 32 Light Street cafe.

"The shop name has been left behind by the previous owner of the property. I knew the owner and since I liked it so much, I took over the shop at a time he was to dispose of it.

"Besides, it is also to fulfill my wife's dream of setting up a dine-in restaurant for pet owners and their dogs."

Dog trainer

Chen and his wife had been working in KL for many years and had planned to return to their hometown after retirement. However, they decided to leave the capital city earlier to start pursuing their dreams last year.

"Since we did not have any experience in this industry, we had to use this restaurant as a place to learn about this trade, and hope to set up a dog-friendly restaurant where dog lovers could bring their canine friends along when dining."

"Fulfilling this dream indeed requires some effort. Although we have now owned a restaurant, a dog-friendly restaurant here is still impractical at this moment."