Founder
Chubbs Burgers
I joke that I would only recommend entering the restaurant industry to my enemies because of how physically and mentally exhausting it is. If you're going to do this, my number one advice is simple: Don't complain. If I had to start all over again from scratch with zero money? Honestly, knowing the toll it takes, I wouldn't do it again.
From Episode 2: Nobody Warned Him About This in the F&B Business
Biography
Romario is the co-founder and driving operational force behind Chubbs Burgers (popularly known as Chubbs Vibing Burgers), a beloved homegrown culinary brand that has helped redefine the premium burger scene in Kuching, Sarawak.
Before finding his true calling in the culinary world, Romario spent years navigating the corporate grind, working typical 9-to-5 office jobs, sharp-tuning his skills in sales, and running a niche side-business supplying premium oysters. He was the final partner to join the founding Chubbs team, anchoring the business alongside a co-founder and professional chef who had recently returned from Australia with a vision to bring gourmet, authentic American-style fresh smash burgers to East Malaysia.
At the time of their inception, the Kuching market was heavily dominated by standard commercial street-style burgers, leaving a massive gap for premium, high-quality, freshly made patties. The brand's journey is a masterclass in patient scaling: they spent their first five years as a home-based side hustle, slowly building a cult following before testing the waters with a tiny, low-overhead kiosk on Carpenter Street in Padungan. After surviving extreme economic headwinds during the pandemic, Romario and his team finally took the leap and opened their first standalone brick-and-mortar outlet in 2023.
Known for his candid transparency, highly hands-on leadership style, and pragmatic business sense, Romario has evolved from a corporate employee into one of Kuching’s most respected and realistic young food and beverage (F&B) entrepreneurs.
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