Co-founders of The Daily Fix – Julian & Soo

Co-founders of The Daily Fix – Julian & Soo

In this interview, Julian and Soo, co-founders of The Daily Fix in Malacca and associated cafes and bakery, share their humble beginnings and future plans.

What do you do?

Julian focuses on the cafes’ branding, marketing, functionality and design. He’s the problem solver for all things related to the properties.
Soo focuses on operations and the creation and refinement of the menu. Soo works closely with the team and roasts our coffee beans.

How did you get into the industry?

In 2013 we had just returned from Sydney. We had no experience in business or F&B. Still, the Australian cafe experience was fresh in our minds, and we were excited to bring some of that to Melaka. We were young and foolish, dreaming of opening a cafe just because we loved the cafe lifestyle without thinking about it as a business.

Julian’s mum ran a souvenir shop, which at that time stretched all the way to the back of the lot. It was too difficult to manage the shop, so we proposed to take a small section at the back and make it into a cafe. The rent was cheaper at the back.

It was supposed to be a side business while Julian worked on his graphic design job simultaneously (not a good idea). We started with a low budget and reused what we could. Our generous friends and family gave us furniture and items that might otherwise get discarded. The whole process suited the concept where we wanted to showcase an aesthetic and story that is easily taken for granted. Things we often need to pay more attention to or appreciate are shared here.

We started with cakes and pancakes and mainly focused on drinks. We even began with local kopi back then but it did not work out (which made us reconsider our direction).

Share a story from behind the scenes.

We are constantly thinking of ways to improve the way we run things and also thinking of new ideas. We read reviews and try to identify problems and solve them. We overlook all the outlets The Daily Fix, The Curious Bakers, Sharing Plates and Kin by The Daily Fix. We are mainly based in The Curious Bakers for now.

What a food memory from your travels that stands out?

The pasta from Osteria Enoteca Nuovo Rosso in Brussels was delicious. In particular, we loved the spaghetti alle vongole. With perfect texture and flavours, we finished our meal with a refreshing limoncello. The restaurant’s environment was comfortable and casual. We were on our honeymoon, which could have also contributed to the experience. We are not always looking for something special as long they are done nicely.

What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of our job is being able to work in a team when creating and curating the menu. Designing the spaces is fun too. It gets better when customers enjoy the food and setting altogether. Also, you know there’s always a good cup of coffee available in the morning.

What’s one of your favourite food and beverage pairings?

Julian – Teh ais and Roti canai banjir (not the healthiest, of course, but oh the joy)!

Soo – Fishball noodles and barley kosong!

The perfect day off would be…

When we can binge-watch Netflix and not think about anything; that’s a luxury. Sometimes we just listen to music and chill with some good beer or wine.

What do you do for fun?

Daily, going to the cafe is both work and fun, but travelling and experiencing different cultures and food is the most fulfilling and refreshing.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about The Daily Fix?

We serve coffee that we like and tasty, simple comfort food. We don’t aim to surprise our customers with our food, and it’s not something we plan to do either. We serve western dishes with Malaysian twists in The Daily Fix. They may be simple, but we put a lot of time and effort into creating and perfecting every recipe we come up with.

How has the pandemic changed your perspective or the way you operate?

During the pandemic, we applied many ideas that failed, but we still tried and tested them to survive. It has changed our view on life and running a business. We’ve learnt that we must always be humble and that we are all very fragile. Nothing is permanent. We also learnt to be adaptive and have a positive mindset.

Not everyone shares the same values as you. Some would drop you when you need help. Other beautiful people will stay and go through it together, forming a much stronger bond. We appreciate the little things around us more and cherish the people who matter.

As business owners and individuals, the pandemic has shaped us to be much stronger.

What do you want people to know about being a cafe owner as a profession?

It may be a dream to many (including us). While a dream may be sweet but in actual reality, running an F&B business and making it sustainable is not an easy task. It requires a lot of time, and it is very draining.

What’s your view on the cafe scene in Malacca?

It is looking more exciting as new cafes are slowly popping up with different offerings and concepts. That’s what makes the industry dynamic and grow as a whole.

What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability?

We do our small part by using rice straws which are edible and biodegradable. We also tried to look at better food waste management by distributing our food waste to be composted but have failed to reach out to the right channel. It’s something we need to look deeper into in the future. Unfortunately, we need more space to do composting ourselves.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

We rotate flavours every month in our bakery, The Curious Bakers, and we are also working on Chinese New Year cookies.

Read more interviews such as this one with the co-founders of The Daily Fix here, and stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.