For co-founders and first-time business owners James Royes and Steph Mathers, deciding to open The Daily felt fated – an obvious next step, a natural progression, a full-circle moment. It was always going to be more than just a recovery centre.
Years of living in one of the Gold Coast’s most ‘under construction’ suburbs means Palm Beach locals are no strangers to change. So when Rigs Recovery closed its Palmy location a few months ago – eager to escape the dust and noise they were suddenly surrounded by – it was hardly a surprise.
“When the opportunity to take over the lease presented itself, I was already on the hunt for what I was going to do next,” says James, who had managed Rigs Recovery’s three Gold Coast locations for the last six years. “So, like Steph and I do for most of our decisions, we talked it through on a walk.”
First, there was the Palm Beach factor. Not only have Steph and James called the neighbourhood home for five years, but Steph grew up coming here as a kid – her granddad had a house on Jefferson Lane. In fact, The Daily stands on the site of the Blockbuster she used to frequent for Slush Puppies (they uncovered a long-lost logo on the wall during demolition).
“I always knew I wanted to live here, so it’s very nostalgic,” she says. “When you come off the highway to the palm trees – it just feels like home.”
Opening a business was just one more way to lay down their roots.
Next, there was the community – James knew from his time at Rigs that locals loved having a recovery centre close by. And better yet, he knew it could work in the existing 180-square metre space.
“When the wellness boom kicked off during COVID, we saw just how health-conscious everyone became,” he says. “Ice baths and saunas became huge here, and I got to be part of bringing Rigs to Palm Beach, then Currumbin.
“I loved how fun the brand was, but it was never fully mine. Now, we have this really exciting opportunity to make it our own. It’s our baby.”
That was the deciding factor. In this “damaged, unwanted” shop on Sixth Avenue, Steph and James saw it all come together – their backgrounds in marketing, James’s time in the wellness space, and even the five years he spent as a labourer (he’s had to throw on the toolbelt more than a few times during this renovation).
