From Kora: How the Viral Filipino Bakery Used Hotplate as a Marketing Machine to Capture Their Fanbase

Rishi from Hotplate:

Hey, Kevin!

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Kevin from Kora:

What's up, Rishi?

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Rishi from Hotplate:

How are you doing, brother?

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Kevin from Kora:

Good, good. Thank God. All good. How are you?

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Rishi from Hotplate:

Good, man. Good to chat. Thank you so much for your time. I just wanted to start off by learning a little bit more about you. Tell me your name and what you do.

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Kevin from Kora:

Yeah, my full name is Kevin Brian Borja, and I am a co-founder and director of operations at Kora.

Rishi from Hotplate:

What is Kora?

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Kevin from Kora:

Kora is a Filipino bakery known for our donuts, which we started back in 2020 during the pandemic. Since then, we've expanded into laminated doughs, pies, cookies, puff pastry, choux—basically a specialty bakery emphasizing Filipino flavors.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

I love that. And what got you making donuts to begin with? How did you get started?

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Kevin from Kora:

It started with Kimberly Kamara, my partner in life and business. In 2020, during the pandemic, she came up with the idea. Kimberly has a culinary background, having worked at USHG and Eleven Madison Park, while I was more on the front-of-house side. When restaurants shut down, like many others, we got creative. Kimberly started making donuts at home and suggested selling them via a Google form for delivery. That's how it all began, from her apartment in Woodside.

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Kevin from Kora:

The response was overwhelming. Media outlets like Eater and The New York Times wanted to feature us, but we were hesitant at first due to the scale of attention versus our humble setup. Eventually, we embraced the opportunity, formalized as an LLC, and Kora was born.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

Wow. What a journey. When did you realize this was starting to work?

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Kevin from Kora:

It was when the waiting list exploded. We were making donuts from our apartment, and suddenly we had thousands of orders. That's when we knew we had something special.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

How has scaling your business been?

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Kevin from Kora:

Challenging but rewarding. We moved into a commissary in Long Island City, which helped immensely with production. It allowed us to meet demand without the constraints of a home kitchen.

Rishi from Hotplate:

That's impressive. What do you think sets Kora apart?

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Kevin from Kora:

Our blend of classic French techniques with Filipino flavors is unique. Also, the personal story behind Kora—inspired by Kimberly's grandmother's recipes—resonates with people. It's not just about the product; it's about sharing Filipino cuisine with a broader audience.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

How do you approach content marketing and engagement with your community?

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Kevin from Kora:

We focus on genuine storytelling. People connect with authenticity, so we emphasize our journey, our values, and of course, high-quality visuals of our products.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

For someone starting out, how would you advise them to build a following?

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Kevin from Kora:

Believe in your product, genuinely enjoy what you're doing, and share your story. Authenticity attracts people more than anything else.

Rishi from Hotplate:

Why do you prefer drops over pop-ups or brick-and-mortar?

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Kevin from Kora:

Initially, drops were convenient and minimized waste. Now, they're part of our brand identity and cater to how our customers shop—often late at night or whenever it suits them.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

Why Hotplate for your business needs?

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Kevin from Kora:

Hotplate's platform is tailor-made for food drops. It simplifies operations from ordering to pickup logistics, which is crucial for our model. The team's responsiveness and continuous improvement also make them an ideal partner for us.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

Kevin, thank you so much for your insights and time. It's been great hearing your journey with Kora.

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Kevin from Kora:

Thank you. Appreciate it.

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Rishi from Hotplate:

Have a good one, bro.

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Kevin from Kora:

Bye.

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