Business falls in area of MPR complex

JAKARTA (JP): Business has been slow in the area surrounding the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives legislative building complex in Central Jakarta as the location is rampant with demonstrations and clashes between protesters and security officers.

Thursday saw almost no customers visiting the dozens of restaurants in the area and the restaurateurs could only air music to empty chairs, while the public amusement park, Taman Ria Senayan, was totally deserted.

There were no customers at the Bebek Bali Restaurant, which is located in the Taman Ria Senayan complex. The restaurant's attendants sat around while Balinese music continuously played on the sound system.

President Director of PT Sarwagata Krta Sarana which operates the Bebek Bali restaurant, Kreisna Tirta, said customers had dropped by between 75 percent and 80 percent during the month- long run of the MPR.

"Normally, there is an average of 300 to 400 customers a day, but only about 30 guests are visiting our restaurant at the moment. One day we had only seven customers," he said.

Kreisna, however, was reluctant to reveal the financial losses the restaurant has suffered.

"About 10 reservations have been canceled this month. The cancellations have cost us more than Rp 100 million (US$11,765) in losses," he said.

Kreisna said he had no idea how to attract more customers.

"All I can do is put the fate of the business into God's hands because I don't know what to do."

He said the restaurant is now limiting its expenditure on ingredients for the menu.

The Taman Ria amusement park, which is located at the rear part of the restaurant, was so quiet on Thursday that several attendants were seen chatting and wandering about.

Not one entrance ticket was sold up to Thursday afternoon, according to an attendant, saying that normally there were about 50 customers visiting the park during working days, while on weekends or holidays the amount of customers could reach about 1,000.

A better situation was seen at Love's Prime Rib and Barbecue Ribs Restaurant and Bar where there were six customers although some 2,000 students were staging a protest before a cordon of security officers on Jl. Gatot Subroto, in front of the restaurant.

Reza Budhisurya, the restaurant's manager, however said the number of the customers had dropped by about 50 percent, while about 220 reservations had been canceled.

"There was to be a party for 130 people tomorrow, but I am afraid that it was also canceled," he said.

Reza also declined to mention the exact amount of losses that he has suffered, but estimated that it had reached several hundred million rupiah.

A small number of customers were at the Pulau Dua Seafood Market restaurant.

A manager of the restaurant, Johny Nicholas, said the amount of customers had dropped by 50 percent.

"We can still survive, only because our place has become a favorite spot for meetings," he said.

There was a press conference and a meeting of a limited number of Golkar party members at Pulau Dua on Thursday.(ind)