Family Bakso Malang Business Survives 20 Years, Expands to Six Carts with Help from BRI's KUR

Raditya Prasetyo has spent the last year helping with the family’s bakso Malang business, a legacy from his late father. Every day, he takes a cart to sell in the Brimob Complex in Kalibata, South Jakarta. The business is the result of a long journey that began over 20 years ago, growing from a single small cart to six operating today.

Radit explained that his father started the business after migrating from Jombang, East Java. He remembers his father as a hard worker. Before opening his own business, his father worked for someone else in Jakarta but later decided to start a family bakso Malang venture. According to stories from his mother, the initial capital was just Rp 1.5 million. The business, named Bakwan Bejo Malang, began to develop around 2004. His father would often return to his hometown to invite relatives to come and trade in Jakarta.

At its peak, the business operated 20 carts across various areas of Jakarta. Over time, the number has changed, and the family currently runs six carts. These carts travel different routes, covering areas from Siaga Raya and Samali to Buncit Indah in South Jakarta. Radit typically sells at the Brimob Complex field from 10:00 to 16:00. Daily income varies depending on conditions. Employees operate the carts on a profit-sharing system, with a set amount remitted to Radit’s mother each day.

Radit does not know the exact total monthly income as it fluctuates, but he estimates the family receives more than Rp 10 million per month from all the carts. The bakso production is still handled by Radit and his mother, from buying ingredients to moulding the meatballs. He uses weekends to prepare stock, while weekdays are focused on selling. They also produce complementary items like crackers themselves, with employees helping to prepare aci fillings for crackers and siomay before selling.

The business faced significant challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when income dropped. To help revive and stabilise the business, the family took out a Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) loan of Rp 40 million from Bank BRI in 2024. Radit says the situation has improved considerably since receiving the loan. The decades-long effort has transformed the family’s life, allowing them to move from renting a house in Jakarta to owning their own home and funding the education of Radit and his sibling through high school.

Yanuar Akademikus Arbifirdaus, Head of the BRI Pasar Minggu Branch, expressed his satisfaction with the progress of MSMEs in his area. He affirmed BRI’s commitment to advancing Indonesian MSMEs and stated that the bank will continue to facilitate financial transactions for business owners. He expressed hope that the distribution of KUR loans would help entrepreneurs increase their business capacity and scale up their operations.