"If Sitting Once at a Café Costs Rp 50,000, Here It's Enough for Two Days"

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — In the corners of the city that never truly quieten, a cup of coffee can mean different things. In one place, it becomes part of a lifestyle. In another, it is enough to accompany two days of conversation. “If sitting once at a café can cost Rp 50,000, here that amount of money can last for two days,” said Mulyadi (43), the owner of the “Kopi Bang Yadi” coffee stall in the Kebon Sirih area, Central Jakarta. That statement is not merely a price comparison. It depicts how some city dwellers cope amid the ongoing pressure of living costs. In Jakarta, modern cafés with aesthetic designs continue to emerge. They offer premium coffee, air-conditioned rooms, and interiors designed to attract attention on social media. At Mulyadi’s coffee stall, which measures about 4x3 metres, customers come and go steadily. From online motorcycle taxi drivers, security guards, office workers, to young people just finishing work. “If people just want good coffee, they can go anywhere. But what they seek here is the atmosphere. They can sit, talk about anything, without anyone regulating,” said Mulyadi. He describes the coffee stall as a kind of “breathing space” for city workers. A place to stop without demands, without having to maintain an image. “Here, people don’t have to guard their image,” he said. Not far from there, another coffee stall stands in Kebon Sirih. Its size is only about 3x3 metres, with a long wooden table and cramped plastic chairs. Its owner, H. Sumarno (55), said his stall is never truly empty. “My stall is small, only 3x3 metres. But alhamdulillah, all sorts come. There are older men, young people too,” said Sumarno. According to him, older customers come out of habit. Meanwhile, young people seek cheap, unpretentious casual spaces. “The older ones are regulars. They drink coffee while chatting. The young ones usually relax, drink coffee, smoke, play on their phones,” he said. “In a small stall like this, people have to sit close together. So it’s easy to chat. Sometimes strangers end up becoming acquaintances,” he added. Price is the main reason. Coffee is sold for Rp 5,000, sweet tea for Rp 4,000, and fritters for Rp 2,000.