Stronger in Tandem
Fonda
By Carmiña De La Peña
October 2025
Daniel Hernández’s journey began with Santa Cruz Deliveries, serving UCSC students. When COVID-19 emptied campuses, he pivoted to helping Latino restaurants navigate chaotic delivery platforms. The problem was personal—his mother’s restaurant, Copal, wasn’t receiving payments despite incoming orders. Daniel covered the missing payments himself for three months while navigating disputes with delivery platforms.
Word spread among the Latino restaurant community. Within six months, a dozen restaurants sought Daniel’s help. But success brought an unexpected challenge: “I was stretched too thin, spending more time with investors and advisors than with my team,” Daniel recalls. “I knew I needed someone who could take ownership of one side of the business so I could focus on what I did best.” He embodied the classic solo founder story—passionate, driven, but quickly overwhelmed by the demands of a rapidly scaling business.
The wake-up call was clear. To scale Fonda beyond a services business into a technology platform serving hundreds of thousands of Latino-owned restaurants nationwide, Daniel needed to transition from doing everything himself to building a leadership team.
Enter Roberto Angulo, who had been observing Daniel’s journey for a year before they decided to formalize their partnership. Roberto’s timing was perfect—he was drawn to the food sector’s growth potential, driven by increasing population and changing work patterns, while Daniel was looking for someone with operational expertise.
“I jumped in because I’ve always been interested in the food sector,” Roberto explains. “I loved the mission: helping small entrepreneurs grow their businesses. And Daniel had already gotten it off the ground—I know how hard it is to start from zero.”
Their role division emerged naturally and strategically. Roberto assumed responsibility for administration, financial oversight, and operational efficiency, while Daniel focused on his core strength: marketing to restaurants and building community relationships. This clear delineation allowed both founders to excel in their areas of expertise without stepping on each other’s toes.
“Success isn't just about having a great idea. It's about finding the right person who can help you execute that vision at scale while maintaining the values that made it special in the first place.”—Daniel Hernández
“Our dynamic works because we maintain flexibility and trust,” Roberto emphasizes. “We don’t need to micromanage each other’s decisions because we’re both focused on the same goals with different skill sets.”
This strategic partnership has been crucial during Fonda’s most challenging growth phases. The results speak to their effective collaboration. Working together, they’ve helped restaurants achieve dramatic growth—one location tripled in monthly sales within three months. Their 24/7 support system, where both founders actively participate in direct text communication with restaurant partners, demonstrates their shared commitment to hands-on leadership. It was a move that required complete alignment and shared conviction.
Roberto’s business knowledge has brought financial discipline to Daniel’s community-first vision. Their five-year growth strategy emphasizes measured expansion that maintains quality while controlling capital burn—a balanced approach that combines Daniel’s relationship-building philosophy with Roberto’s operational rigor.
Looking forward, their complementary perspectives shape Fonda’s technological ambitions. “Success isn’t just about having a great idea,” Daniel reflects. “It’s about finding the right person who can help you execute that vision at scale while maintaining the values that made it special in the first place.”
Their partnership demonstrates that the right co-founder relationship can elevate a promising solo venture into a disciplined, scalable company positioned for long-term success.