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“It was nice that we can get to know other fellow colleagues in the same industry. Learn from them and from each other.” - Kelvin Loh, Manager at Sumo Well

A key highlight of the event was the fireside chat featuring Natasha Chiam from The Ice Cream & Cookie Co, Hoh Loyi from Champion Bolo Bun (The Platform Collective), Mohammad Saiful from Commonwealth Concepts, and Farhan Zainudin from Ashes Burnnit.

• Speaking on business expansion, Natasha Chiam shared useful insights for merchants looking to grow into new channels. She highlighted one lesser-known challenge that newer merchants may face when entering supermarket chains: product display arrangements often have to be handled by the merchants themselves, rather than by the supermarket.

• On product innovation, Hoh Loyi spoke about how she was inspired to bring bolo buns from Hong Kong to local consumers. Her advice to fellow merchants was clear: instead of chasing products that are already trending, businesses should focus on creating items with the potential to go viral in their own market.

• Farhan Zainudin discussed how GrabAds became a turning point for Ashes Burnnit, especially during the COVID-19 period. He shared that GrabAds helped boost sales by 70%, while also offering a performance-based model where merchants only pay when ads successfully drive orders, with no additional or subscription charges. 

• On talent management, Mohammad Saiful shared his perspectives on building and managing teams, rounding out the discussion with valuable people-focused insights for business owners.

The fireside chat was followed by a Q&A session, where merchants raised practical questions and engaged in meaningful conversations with the speakers. This gave attendees the chance to walk away with actionable takeaways that they could apply to their own businesses.

The event concluded with a complimentary halal Nonya Classics lunch buffet at M Hotel, where merchants continued their conversations in a more informal setting. Over lunch, attendees had the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and strengthen ties within the growing merchant community.

“We get to hear from experienced F&B owners about all the trials and tribulations they have been through [...], and that basically gives us a roadmap for smaller merchants like us who may also go through in the next few years. I definitely recommend all Grab Merchants and F&B owners to come for this event. I’m sure they’ll come up with better events and invite more people to share their experience." - Jay Teo, Director at Airfryer Cookies

This inaugural GrabAcademy Merchant Round Table marks one of the many initiatives within the broader Grab Full House Mission — an initiative dedicated to equipping small F&B businesses with the tools to become more discoverable on the Grab platform and attract more customers. Over the next three years, GrabAcademy will continue this momentum through workshops and masterclasses held in partnership with Enterprise SG and SkillsFuture Singapore, helping merchants nationwide build digital capabilities in areas such as digital marketing and AI adoption.