Kelvin Subowo: 7 Failures, Cloud Kitchen Collapse & Building Indonesia’s F&B Avengers – E601
"Number one is the founder. We focus on the people and the founder because we operate the business ourselves, so we know what kind of people drive success. Number two is the synergy we bring to the table—whether through better COGS, operational costs using our central kitchen, improved unit economics, or logistics that squeeze more margin. When we integrate them into our infrastructure, they benefit from it. We calculate the integration impact and how quickly it can happen, depending on how open-minded the founders and team are. Number three is we avoid trendy businesses. At Daily Box, now Daily Co., we focus on comfort food and staple foods—things people consistently want." - Kelvin Subowo, CEO of Daily Co.
"What's helped me a lot during tough times is having great teams that always support me. I've had to make difficult decisions that impact people's lives and futures, but they always aim for a bigger purpose—we want to create disruption for this country. We truly believe in the Indonesian market and its people. That belief keeps us motivated. Many founders who joined or were acquired by our company see how we treat talent, and that makes a difference during challenging periods. As founders, we sometimes feel faint-hearted, unsure if we can deliver or navigate the storm, but it helps that the team has seen our progress and how we've weathered past storms." - Kelvin Subowo, CEO of Daily Co.
Kelvin Subowo, CEO of Daily Co., joins Jeremy Au to share how he built one of Indonesia’s fastest growing F&B groups after seven failed ventures. They talk through how Kelvin’s early failures taught him the realities of Indonesia’s price sensitive market, how cloud kitchens initially succeeded but quickly collapsed post-Covid, and how Daily Co. pivoted by acquiring and scaling offline food brands. They explore how founder retention, backend integration, and M&A discipline enabled sustainable growth. Kelvin also explains how Chinese brands are entering Indonesia with capital and speed, and why his team is doubling down on scale, team culture, and long-term local partnerships.