Would you like fries with that, sir?

Would you like fries with that, sir?

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of people willingly stood in line for
hours when Jakarta's first McDonald's outlet opened four years
ago.

What did they expect under the lionized golden arches? It
served the same stuff as other fast-food franchises already
operating in town. But McDonald's beefburgers, cheeseburgers,
Filet-o-Fish, french fries, fried chicken, apple pies, sundaes
and specialty Big Mac drew them in.

"There's nothing special in the taste of their burgers, we
were just curious to try fast food in this famous chain," said
one customer when the restaurant opened in l991.

Now, McDonald's Indonesia has 38 restaurants in the big cities
of Java and Bali. The original outlet in Sarinah on Jl. M.H.
Thamrin serves an average of 8,000 people a day, while other
outlets are visited by more than a thousand customers daily.

"I come here often. It is strategically located, the service
is good, it is clean and the atmosphere is pleasant," a regular
at the Sarinah restaurant said.

McDonald's rapid development is inseparable from 44-year-old
Bambang Nuryatno Rachmadi. Its success has made Bambang one of
the country's top franchise holders.

"We want to offer the best food, best service and best
environment which are in line with McDonald's motto Good Taste,
Great Time," Bambang explained.

Bambang gave up a banking career, he was the president of Pan
Indonesia (Panin) Bank when he was 35, to run the restaurant
chain.

"I felt that there was no challenge left for me anymore in the
banking world. It was time for me to fight in other fields,"
Bambang said during a recent interview with The Jakarta Post at
his office.

He chose running a restaurant because it is considered a
captive market, hard sell and labor intensive. He began applying
for the franchise license from McDonald's. It was a difficult
fight. Nearly 13,000 Indonesian businesspeople had applied for
the license since the early 1980s.

Bambang had to compete with 39 other strong contenders from
Indonesia for the license.

"I told the McDonald's management that my competitors were
reputable businessmen in Indonesia. In financial terms, I am not
comparable with them but I have the brains, the strong will and
vision to run a restaurant franchise," Bambang said.

A graduate of the School of Economics at the University of
Indonesia, Bambang continued his studies in international banking
and finance at Saint Mary's Graduate School of Business Moraga
and John F. Kennedy University Orinda. Both are in California,
United States.

A year passed without news from McDonald's, Bambang
remembered.

"I was surprised that McDonald's finally allowed me to take
part in the company's training program at the McDonald's office
in Singapore," he said.

All franchise hopefuls must take a course on management and
on-the-job experience.

"I did everything from studying management to cleaning the
kitchen and toilets. It was really a new and worthy experience,"
he said.

Many participants failed the training they considered
frustrating and "brainless".

The programs, Bambang added, trained people in running a
restaurant and taught them to appreciate each job. Such a
business takes teamwork, Bambang explained.

The training helped franchise holders apply the theory and
skills in their own countries.

Although he passed the course, Bambang didn't automatically
get the license. It took two years before McDonald's granted him
the franchise for Indonesia.

"My heart filled with gratitude to God when I heard the news.
It was really His work that showed me this path," the father of
three teenage children insisted.

He started his restaurant business under PT Ramako Gerbang Mas
and opened the first McDonald's in Sarinah.

PT Ramako invested Rp 5 billion (US$2.5 million) in the
franchise. The company employed 300 crew and managers in its
first year.

"Creative, innovative and consistent are key factors for us to
achieve our target," commented Bambang, who loves Harley Davidson
motorcycles.

All crew and staff are required to undergo special training
for each position.

"Human resource development is urgent in our company. Our
employees are our valuable assets," Bambang said, echoing the
company's line.

"We are happy to absorb high school graduates as our major
workforce. They don't have to worry about their career. We have
set up professional career planning. They can reach various top
positions provided that they work hard," he elaborated.

Citing an example, Bambang said that one McDonald's crew (the
lowest rank in the organization) was recently promoted as an
assistant manager in only 30 months.

He explained that this employee, a high school graduate, took
part in various managerial training programs. The company also
sends its workers abroad to attend a workshops, seminars and
training. The number of employees has increased from only 300 in
l991 to 3,800 today. Over 85 percent of them are high school
graduates.

Bambang commented he still has much work to do to improve the
restaurants as well as his employee's welfare.

"But, I am very thankful to my family, my staff, my friends
and my customers. They are the people behind my success," Bambang
said.