Meetings in cafes? Why not?<\/p>\n
Many Indonesians believe that discussions are more productive
\nand will be more satisfactory to all parties concerned when they
\nare held after a delicious meal. Probably, that is why almost all
\nmeetings -- business or otherwise -- include sumptuous meals.<\/p>\n
Quite a number of restaurants and cafes in Indonesia's major
\ncities see this as a business opportunity. Hence, multifunction
\nrooms for all kinds of meetings and gatherings -- locally
\nreferred to as VIP or private rooms -- came into existence.<\/p>\n
\"In my view, this trend has grown further since the early
\n1990s. We grabbed the opportunity and made private rooms
\navailable in our restaurant -- Kafe Museum -- and as you can see,
\neach is always occupied by one meeting or another seven days a
\nweek,\" said the cafe's manager, Rafei Tirtaatmadja. The cafe is
\nlocated next to the historic Fatahilah Museum in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Private rooms in restaurants and cafes are certainly smaller
\nthan the huge multifunction rooms in hotels, with their capacity
\nnormally being between 10 and 60 people.<\/p>\n
On working days, business executives use the private rooms in
\nthe afternoon, while in the evenings they are used mostly by the
\nstaff members and managers of organizations.<\/p>\n
\"We often conduct our meetings in the private rooms of cafes
\nas they are strategically located and everybody can easily reach
\nthese places. With good food, live music, proper meeting
\nfacilities, I think meetings in such places are more relaxed,\"
\nsaid RTS Masli, chairman of the Indonesian Association of
\nAdvertising Agencies.<\/p>\n
Other social groups, like the wives of foreign diplomats and
\nhousewives from upper-income residential estates, often use
\nprivate rooms at weekends for arisan (regular private lotteries
\nusually organized by groups of women). \"Once I saw an arisan
\nwhere each woman contributed one thousand dollars,\" said Rafei,
\nthe manager of Kafe Museum.<\/p>\n
To use the private rooms, each restaurant has a different
\npolicy. Some levy an extra charge, some require a minimum order,
\nwhile in others one has to order the special package menu. TC
\nSquare and Riva Bistro & Bar, however, do not apply any extra
\ncharges, while at Xin Hwa Szechuan restaurant, their special
\npackage menu has to be ordered. Aoki restaurant requires a
\nminimum order. \"For a group of four persons, for example, the
\nminimum order is Rp 200,000 (about US$23),\" said Yani, the
\nmanager of Aoki restaurant.<\/p>\n
As many meetings in restaurants and cafes are informal,
\nusually only basic stationery, including a whiteboard, is made
\navailable. For other equipment, such as overhead projectors,
\ncomputers and televisions, there is normally an extra charge.<\/p>\n
\"For the use of private rooms, a reservation is necessary so
\nthat we can prepare everything to the satisfaction of our
\ncustomers,\" said Elvie, the manager of Shang Palace restaurant.<\/p>\n
Instead of the hassle of holding a meeting in your office,
\nincluding the trouble of preparing meals or ordering a caterer to
\ntake care of them, using the private rooms of restaurants and
\ncafes is certainly a more practical choice. The fact that the
\nrelaxing ambience renders the meetings or gatherings more
\nproductive is another important reason behind the flourishing
\nprivate room business. -- Ari Darmawan<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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