Street cafes, a lucrative business during the crisis

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Be warned about passing through Jl. Tirtayasa, South Jakarta, on weekends. You will find congestion mainly caused by people driving very slowly as they ogle the beautiful people and famous faces manning the sidewalk food stalls there.

The place is not only packed on weekends; despite the crisis, the young and trendy, the rich and famous or regular urbanites cannot give up their nightlife.

For years there have been several sidewalk food stall areas where the well-to-do hang out. Jl. Kendal in Menteng is famed for its satay; Jl. Pecenongan in downtown for its seafood, and a corner on Jl. Prapanca in South Jakarta was popular among teenagers for one of its noodle stalls in the 1980s.

But with the current hardships, these sidewalk hang-outs have multiplied like rabbits. These warung have either become a new profession or a place to add to their owners' incomes.

Now, plenty of food stalls, which have stylishly been named cafes by their owners, can be found along Jl. Raden Patah, Jl. Tirtayasa, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said -- all in South Jakarta.

This seems to be the main target of the street cafe owners, to lure those from the cafe society to the streets, although cafe owners have so far not complained of the competition.

Celebrities, who are cafe frequenters themselves, are among those who have set up stalls in past months -- and their presence has contributed to the traffic jams.

"That's Inneke, the actress," whispered a man while starring at Inneke Koesherawati, known for her bold scenes in movies and her TV roles. Like other motorists, he drove slowly to catch a glimpse of the starlet, regardless of other road users.

Inneke was serving customers at her place, called Warung Boom, one of the 30 food stalls which make up the Warcil Pharama Rasuna area. It is on Jl. HR Rasuna Said, the latest lineup of street cafes inaugurated by Governor Sutiyoso on July 18.

The actors-turned-owners and waiters know they must live up to their image while learning to attract customers. Inneke dresses up and gives her dishes intriguing names: Sop Buntut Tirai Sutra (Silk Curtain Ox Tail Soup), named after a TV series in which she has a role. "I expect that my reputation will lure customers," smiled Inneke, a cafegoer herself.

Warung Atun, owned by actress Suti Karno, known for her role as Atun in the popular TV series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Si Doel the Graduate), offers Betawi food in line with the film's setting of indigenous Jakarta culture.

Suti spent about Rp 10 million to set up the stall, much less than investment in an upper-class cafe would require.

"I just want to find a new opportunity to earn a living. Actresses don't always have jobs, so, when there's a chance for me (to do something else), why not?" said Suti, who opens her food stall from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. every day.

Suti was busy having her picture taken and signing autographs for children while parents looked on with pride.

Meanwhile, Inneke was surrounded by male fans, who wanted to chat, shake hands and be photographed with her.

In the same area there was ANteve presenter Sonny Tulung offering roast chicken and fish, singers Rita Effendi and Ita Purnamasari have opened Warung Cinta (Love Stall) and satay can be purchased at Warung Sate Vinique, owned by model Monica Oemardi with singer Vinny Alvionita.

Actor Adjie Marsaid and model Bella Safira sell ice cream, model/TV presenter Tamara Geraldine offers salads in Fruity Geraldine, and model/TV presenter Dian Nitami and her boyfriend Anjasmara have opened Warung DNA (Dian And Anjas Stall).

Rules

As agreed with Gaung Cipta Semesta, which manages the Pharama Rasuna, celebrities are not allowed to merely sell their names; they must show up at least twice a week at their food stalls.

Gaung's chairwoman, Christine A. Soenardi, said the street cafes were intended to provide jobs to retrenched workers and unemployed workers in the neighborhood.

Out of 30 stalls there, 15 are owned by celebrities, 10 by retrenched workers and five by university students. Celebrities do not only attract customers, Christine says. They also subsidize retrenched workers by paying double for the space.

Gaung sets a fee of Rp 3 million monthly for each stall including open tents, and Rp 260,000 monthly for security, water, electricity and others. Retrenched workers are entitled to financial support from the city-branch of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and individual entrepreneurs.

Pharama's stalls open from 6 p.m every day, except for Sunday when they start at 6 a.m.

Actor Vikri, who played in TV series Tutur Tinular and Musnahnya Ilmu Hitam (the Disappearing of Black Magic), claims his cafe is different.

The stall is open Thursday to Saturday from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. and serves food "directly sent from Palembang" in South Sumatra. Prices at his place are reasonably low: Rp 12,500 buys two plates of pempek (fish flavored dumpling) and drinks.

Vikri said he only paid voluntary fees for sanitation. "But we're advised by the police to maintain order by not letting customers get drunk or sell drugs here," Vikri said.

Similarly, Jl. Tirtayasa becomes alive at night. After the street cafes sprouted up, it was made a one-way street. A sign says the road is for sidewalk food stalls from 7 p.m. to 12 p.m.

Sidewalk food stalls usually generate the competition of space. South Jakarta major Pardjoko has said that the number of stalls will have to be reduced and relocated. However authorities have not mentioned a limited figure.

Meanwhile owners in Pharama Rasuna have signed a statement that they will not demand compensation if the area they have to make way in case the area is used for another function.

Among the noncelebrities running food stalls here are couple Indah Retno and her husband, who previously sold chicken porridge at the Senayan Sport Complex. Their stall became a favorite stopover for Sunday joggers two years ago. While it was initially a side job, their street food business unexpectedly became a godsend.

Barely a month after their Rezare stall opened with an investment of Rp 5 million in June, Indah's husband lost his job. He was a consultant for a reclamation project. "Luckily, he still had a business to run," said Indah, who works at the stall after her office hours at a bank.

Rezare opens Thursday to Saturday from 7 p.m. up to 3 a.m. It's tiring but fun -- "The Volkswagen and Harley clubs often stop by and eat," said Indah. On Sunday mornings the couple move to Senayan. Prices here are Rp 7,500 at the most and Rp 3,500 for drinks. They pay monthly fees of Rp 15,000 for security and sanitation.

Revenue is Rp 100,000 to Rp 400,000 a day, said Indah, who used to hang around in hotels and cafes with her husband. On slow days, unsold food goes to an orphanage.

On Jl. Tirtayasa, she said, traders were friendly. Customers who want food from other stalls can just order from where they are sitting.

Cafe owners who have been in the business longer here seem amicable about the new competition. Cafe Godean's owner, Wati, says more people have been coming to Tirtayasa and this is good for business. She serves up to 100 people a day on weekends.

And Rahmat, a cigarette street vendor on Jl. Raden Patah, was also happy, saying he could bring home Rp 20,000 on weekends.

"The street cafes don't sell cigarettes, so the customers buy them from me," he said.