No More Change Hassles: QRIS BRI Becomes Go-To Payment for Bulungan Street Food Vendors

In Bulungan, South Jakarta, rows of gultik stalls—also known as curry stalls—begin to fill with customers as night deepens. From stall to stall, the steamy aroma of beef curry mingles with the lively chatter of customers flowing in and out, creating the distinctive pulse of night-time cuisine at the heart of Blok M. At one corner, 43-year-old Purnomo Setiawan works tirelessly to serve orders without pause. His hands move constantly, from stirring the gravy to serving steaming bowls of beef curry to customers seated on plastic benches in front of his stall. Amid the busy transactions, the digital QRIS payment service from PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or BRI, is crucial for the smooth operation of Purnomo’s gultik business. This cashless system speeds up transactions and keeps them orderly, especially during peak hours when customers arrive in waves. “It’s much faster now—customers just scan, so no waiting around or fumbling for change,” Purnomo told Media Indonesia at his stall in Bulungan, South Jakarta, last week. Purnomo said he first entered the gultik business by following his uncle, who had already been selling in Bulungan. Before becoming a vendor, he worked as a security officer at a media company. “I started in gultik in 2008, following my uncle. Before selling, I worked as a security guard at a media company,” he said. He saw an opportunity when a house behind the selling area changed ownership, leading to a shift in stall permits, which allowed Purnomo to secure a spot for his business. According to Purnomo, gultik originated from Solo with beef curry as the main dish. He said this street food business has been around for decades and is now a hallmark of Blok M’s night-time cuisine. Purnomo recalled that when he first started, a portion of gultik was sold for around Rp2,000, with a larger serving size than today. “Back then it was Rp2,000, then increased to Rp3,000. Now it’s Rp10,000, and the portions are smaller,” he said. Before using QRIS, Purnomo had been a BRI customer for years, having first encountered the bank while living in Sukoharjo, Central Java. “In my hometown of Sukoharjo, BRI was the only bank, so I’ve been a customer since 2016,” he said. Purnomo was selected as part of BRI’s cluster program in 2022. He said he joined after meeting a BRI marketing officer who offered a partnership to gultik vendors. Today, Purnomo oversees eight gultik stalls in Bulungan and is often entrusted to represent vendors at BRI events. “When BRI hosts events, they usually call on me to prepare orders,” he said. The turnover from his vendors’ businesses is substantial. Purnomo said a single vendor can earn around Rp2 million on weekend nights alone. Meanwhile, his wife’s satay business also generates significant daily revenue. “My wife’s satay stall alone makes Rp1.5 million on weekend nights,” he said. Purnomo started using BRI’s QRIS in 2022. He said most customers now prefer cashless payments for their convenience. “Customers prefer QRIS now—it’s more efficient, no need to worry about change. My fellow vendors and I remain loyal to BRI’s QRIS service,” he added. He said QRIS usage has boosted sales by up to 30% compared to before. On average, his stall sells around 300 satay skewers each night as a complement to the curry. Besides the general public, Purnomo’s gultik stall has also been visited by celebrities and public figures. He mentioned artists like Anang and Hotman Paris, as well as officials, have enjoyed his food there. “Celebrities like Anang, Hotman Paris, and other figures have eaten here before,” he said. The bustling gultik area is also evident in the young crowd gathering with friends to enjoy Blok M’s signature night-time cuisine. Among the rows of stalls, the atmosphere grows livelier with chatter and continuous queues, especially as night deepens. One such regular is 16-year-old Kaila, who often stops by Purnomo’s stall after her activities. With friends, she considers it a favourite spot to gather and spend evenings. “The curry is delicious—the meat is tender and the gravy is really good,” Kaila said. Beyond the taste, Kaila finds the prices affordable for students. She and three friends usually spend around Rp120,000 on gultik at Purnomo’s stall, located opposite Jakarta State Senior High School 70. Kaila said she has no hesitation in returning and plans to recommend Purnomo’s gultik to others for its comfortable, affordable experience made even easier by digital payment options. (E-4)