Street cafes, a lucrative business during the crisis<\/p>\n
By Stevie Emilia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Be warned about passing through Jl. Tirtayasa,
\nSouth Jakarta, on weekends. You will find congestion mainly
\ncaused by people driving very slowly as they ogle the beautiful
\npeople and famous faces manning the sidewalk food stalls there.<\/p>\n
The place is not only packed on weekends; despite the crisis,
\nthe young and trendy, the rich and famous or regular urbanites
\ncannot give up their nightlife.<\/p>\n
For years there have been several sidewalk food stall areas
\nwhere the well-to-do hang out. Jl. Kendal in Menteng is famed for
\nits satay; Jl. Pecenongan in downtown for its seafood, and a
\ncorner on Jl. Prapanca in South Jakarta was popular among
\nteenagers for one of its noodle stalls in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
But with the current hardships, these sidewalk hang-outs have
\nmultiplied like rabbits. These warung have either become a new
\nprofession or a place to add to their owners' incomes.<\/p>\n
Now, plenty of food stalls, which have stylishly been named
\ncafes by their owners, can be found along Jl. Raden Patah, Jl.
\nTirtayasa, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said -- all in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
This seems to be the main target of the street cafe owners, to
\nlure those from the cafe society to the streets, although cafe
\nowners have so far not complained of the competition.<\/p>\n
Celebrities, who are cafe frequenters themselves, are among
\nthose who have set up stalls in past months -- and their presence
\nhas contributed to the traffic jams.<\/p>\n
\"That's Inneke, the actress,\" whispered a man while starring
\nat Inneke Koesherawati, known for her bold scenes in movies and
\nher TV roles. Like other motorists, he drove slowly to catch a
\nglimpse of the starlet, regardless of other road users.<\/p>\n
Inneke was serving customers at her place, called Warung Boom,
\none of the 30 food stalls which make up the Warcil Pharama Rasuna
\narea. It is on Jl. HR Rasuna Said, the latest lineup of street
\ncafes inaugurated by Governor Sutiyoso on July 18.<\/p>\n
The actors-turned-owners and waiters know they must live up to
\ntheir image while learning to attract customers. Inneke dresses
\nup and gives her dishes intriguing names: Sop Buntut Tirai Sutra
\n(Silk Curtain Ox Tail Soup), named after a TV series in which she
\nhas a role. \"I expect that my reputation will lure customers,\"
\nsmiled Inneke, a cafegoer herself.<\/p>\n
Warung Atun, owned by actress Suti Karno, known for her role
\nas Atun in the popular TV series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Si Doel
\nthe Graduate), offers Betawi food in line with the film's setting
\nof indigenous Jakarta culture.<\/p>\n
Suti spent about Rp 10 million to set up the stall, much less
\nthan investment in an upper-class cafe would require.<\/p>\n
\"I just want to find a new opportunity to earn a living.
\nActresses don't always have jobs, so, when there's a chance for
\nme (to do something else), why not?\" said Suti, who opens her
\nfood stall from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day.<\/p>\n
Suti was busy having her picture taken and signing autographs
\nfor children while parents looked on with pride.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Inneke was surrounded by male fans, who wanted to
\nchat, shake hands and be photographed with her.<\/p>\n
In the same area there was ANteve presenter Sonny Tulung
\noffering roast chicken and fish, singers Rita Effendi and Ita
\nPurnamasari have opened Warung Cinta (Love Stall) and satay can
\nbe purchased at Warung Sate Vinique, owned by model Monica
\nOemardi with singer Vinny Alvionita.<\/p>\n
Actor Adjie Marsaid and model Bella Safira sell ice cream,
\nmodel\/TV presenter Tamara Geraldine offers salads in Fruity
\nGeraldine, and model\/TV presenter Dian Nitami and her boyfriend
\nAnjasmara have opened Warung DNA (Dian And Anjas Stall).<\/p>\n
Rules<\/p>\n
As agreed with Gaung Cipta Semesta, which manages the Pharama
\nRasuna, celebrities are not allowed to merely sell their names;
\nthey must show up at least twice a week at their food stalls.<\/p>\n
Gaung's chairwoman, Christine A. Soenardi, said the street
\ncafes were intended to provide jobs to retrenched workers and
\nunemployed workers in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Out of 30 stalls there, 15 are owned by celebrities, 10 by
\nretrenched workers and five by university students. Celebrities
\ndo not only attract customers, Christine says. They also
\nsubsidize retrenched workers by paying double for the space.<\/p>\n
Gaung sets a fee of Rp 3 million monthly for each stall
\nincluding open tents, and Rp 260,000 monthly for security, water,
\nelectricity and others. Retrenched workers are entitled to
\nfinancial support from the city-branch of the Indonesian Chamber
\nof Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and individual entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
Pharama's stalls open from 6 p.m every day, except for Sunday
\nwhen they start at 6 a.m.<\/p>\n
Actor Vikri, who played in TV series Tutur Tinular and
\nMusnahnya Ilmu Hitam (the Disappearing of Black Magic),
\nclaims his cafe is different.<\/p>\n
The stall is open Thursday to Saturday from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.
\nand serves food \"directly sent from Palembang\" in South Sumatra.
\nPrices at his place are reasonably low: Rp 12,500 buys two plates
\nof pempek (fish flavored dumpling) and drinks.<\/p>\n
Vikri said he only paid voluntary fees for sanitation.
\n \"But we're advised by the police to maintain order by not
\nletting customers get drunk or sell drugs here,\" Vikri said.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Jl. Tirtayasa becomes alive at night. After the
\nstreet cafes sprouted up, it was made a one-way street. A sign
\nsays the road is for sidewalk food stalls from 7 p.m. to 12 p.m.<\/p>\n
Sidewalk food stalls usually generate the competition of
\nspace. South Jakarta major Pardjoko has said that the number of
\nstalls will have to be reduced and relocated. However authorities
\nhave not mentioned a limited figure.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile owners in Pharama Rasuna have signed a statement
\nthat they will not demand compensation if the area they have to
\nmake way in case the area is used for another function.<\/p>\n
Among the noncelebrities running food stalls here are couple
\nIndah Retno and her husband, who previously sold chicken porridge
\nat the Senayan Sport Complex. Their stall became a favorite
\nstopover for Sunday joggers two years ago. While it was initially
\na side job, their street food business unexpectedly became a
\ngodsend.<\/p>\n
Barely a month after their Rezare stall opened with an
\ninvestment of Rp 5 million in June, Indah's husband lost his job.
\nHe was a consultant for a reclamation project. \"Luckily, he still
\nhad a business to run,\" said Indah, who works at the stall after
\nher office hours at a bank.<\/p>\n
Rezare opens Thursday to Saturday from 7 p.m. up to 3 a.m.
\nIt's tiring but fun -- \"The Volkswagen and Harley clubs often
\nstop by and eat,\" said Indah. On Sunday mornings the couple move
\nto Senayan. Prices here are Rp 7,500 at the most and Rp 3,500 for
\ndrinks. They pay monthly fees of Rp 15,000 for security and
\nsanitation.<\/p>\n
Revenue is Rp 100,000 to Rp 400,000 a day, said Indah, who
\nused to hang around in hotels and cafes with her husband. On slow
\ndays, unsold food goes to an orphanage.<\/p>\n
On Jl. Tirtayasa, she said, traders were friendly. Customers
\nwho want food from other stalls can just order from where they
\nare sitting.<\/p>\n
Cafe owners who have been in the business longer here seem
\namicable about the new competition. Cafe Godean's owner, Wati,
\nsays more people have been coming to Tirtayasa and this is good
\nfor business. She serves up to 100 people a day on weekends.<\/p>\n
And Rahmat, a cigarette street vendor on Jl. Raden Patah, was
\nalso happy, saying he could bring home Rp 20,000 on weekends.<\/p>\n
\"The street cafes don't sell cigarettes, so the customers buy
\nthem from me,\" he said.<\/p>",
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