Jakarta cafe culture cathes on
What is it that busy people seek in their search for fun and relaxation as they try to reach the heights of power? Bars, pubs and cafes, whether in hotels or as separate businesses, have prospered because of the new breed of young professionals and beautiful people who want to see and be seen. The Jakarta Post's reporters I. Christianto, Prapti Widinugraheni, Rita A. Widiadana, Wirasti Wiryono, Dwi Atmanta, Ida Indawati Khouw and photographer Mulkan Salmona report on the development of the hospitality business and its impact on society. Related stories appear on Page 6 and Page 13.
JAKARTA (JP): A group of young executives rush to join colleagues for a business lunch at a fashionable and chic cafe on the 36th floor of a high-rise building in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
One of them, Arlinda Nainggolan, said almost five days a week she and fellow workers of an architecture and interior design consultancy have regular meetings with clients in cafes around Jakarta.
"We chose this cafe because it is in the same building as our office, which is convenient. At night, we usually go to a pub to listen to good music. Discos or bars are different as they are thought of in a negative light. We feel safe and comfortable in cafes," said interior designer Arlinda.
Cafes, she said, have become her second office as well as a place to relax and have fun after a long and busy working day.
Cafes and pubs are becoming favorite hangouts for more and more professionals in Jakarta. For some people, cafes serve as an office and they keep their cellular phones ever ready beside their espressos, making appointments with clients and reading mail between calls. Others see cafes as a perfect hideaway from busy lives.
Arie Soesilo, urban sociologist at the University of Indonesia, said Jakartans need cafes and other places in which to socialize.
"In a busy city like Jakarta, people still need a place where they can communicate and release their stress, and cafes cater to their needs."
The main function of cafes has shifted from a place to eat and drink to an information bourse, he said.
Hardly anyone goes to a cafe to write anymore, or spend hours poring over newspapers like people do in France, where cafes and such establishments are part of everyday life, he said. However, social and cultural aspects have started to emerge in cafes and pubs in Jakarta. Today, cafe frequenters not only get food and music but also business and political information, Soesilo added.
A handful of beautiful people like model-actress Laura Ricciardulli goes to her favorite spot The Hard Rock Cafe on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta, for relaxation and to soak up the atmosphere. MTV video jockey Nadya Hutagalung enjoys relaxing with friends in a laid-back atmosphere with familiar staff and good music. Her favorite social spots are Java Jive in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, and Checkers in Mandarin Oriental Hotel, while The Hard Rock Cafe is her place for getting down to business.
Renata Sofiaan, public relations manager at Grand Hyatt Jakarta makes O'Reily's pub and Fountain Lounge her regular business spots while Jalan-Jalan, Galeri TC in Kemang and B.A.T.S. at the Shangri-La are fun spots.
"The food in a cafe doesn't have to be all that good, what's more important is the atmosphere. We need a place in which to relax and enjoy, and to communicate with our pals. Or maybe we can make new friends there. I prefer to hang around in a cafe rather than be trapped in a traffic jam on the way home," commented Rosita, an employee at a private bank.
Whether a person enjoys themselves in the cafe world is a matter of chance. You might strike up a conversation with artists and art dealers in Galeri TC (Twilite Cafe) in Kemang, South Jakarta. Or find yourself talking with a businessperson in Jimbani Cafe also in Kemang. You may even be on the lookout for models taking a break from a fashion show at Fashion Cafe in BNI Building on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta. One might also enjoy listening to jazz at Jamz pub in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
Whether you are famous or unknown, it is likely you'll get equal treatment at most cafes and pubs.
The high demand for upmarket cafes among Jakartans has encouraged local entrepreneurs to try their hand at the business. Jakarta has more than 400 cafes, pubs and restaurants and the number is likely to increase significantly in the near future.
There is no denying the rapid growth of the business is closely associated with foreign-educated people, mostly sons and daughters of prominent businesspeople and high-ranking government officials, such as Adiguna Sutowo (Hard Rock Cafe), Martina Sudwikatmono (Planet Hollywood) and Bambang Wiyogo (Jimbani).
As Bambang Wiyogo put it: "At first I wanted to provide business opportunities to my friends at the Association of Young Indonesian Businessmen. I saw that the increasing number of young executives needed a place to sit down and relax."
Martina Sudwikatmono said nostalgia about her student days at an American university inspired her to open her business. She used to frequent cafes and restaurants near her school, and when she returned to Indonesia she missed the cafe society.
Though nostalgia prompted many cafe and pub owners to open their doors, the business takes serious investment. It requires between Rp 1 billion and Rp 6 billion to open a cafe or a pub and competition is getting fiercer.
Beyond the success of a number of cafes many have also failed. The Stage, Blue Note, Upstairs, Zach and Metropolis are just few of the unsuccessful ventures.
Jiri Kobos, club and general manager of PT Pacific Metro realty which runs Jalan-Jalan Cafe, said the market is always shifting.
"The business of cafes, bars, restaurants, nightclubs or pubs is attractive, but faithful customers don't exist," he said. (team)