Where only the trendiest survive in a fierce contest

Prodita Sabarini ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 05/13/2009 2:38 PM  |  City

The prestige of the Kemang area has become its hubris, as rampant commercialization has brought not only street gridlocks but also business closures, a resident said.

Longtime Kemang resident, presenter and activist Irma Hutabarat said the area had been so saturated with businesses that competition had become fierce and the situation was not conducive to sustainable businesses.

"A lot of the old restaurants that pioneered setting up businesses in the area are now deserted, while newer restaurants are packed," Irma said.

Jakarta historian Alwi Shahab said in the 1980s, caf*s, bars and art galleries started to spring up to cater to the expatriate community. The area gained prestige and became popular with new homeowners. Today, hundreds of caf*s, bars, and art galleries compete to capture their share of customers.

Some restaurants, which pioneered the caf* culture in the area, have closed their operations, such as Pasir Putih Caf*, while other old timers have continued to recreate themselves with new interiors and different menus.

"If the city administration plans to make the area a commercial place, they should also think about the sustainability of businesses," Irma said.

She said the commercialization rate in the area encouraged "cannibalism within businesses here".

Kemang resident polyglot Kartika Jahja - singer, writer, and caf* owner - agreed with Irma, saying from the two old-time restaurants she knew in Kemang, one was closed down, while the other was struggling to attract customers.

Irma said she did not mind a few restaurants and other businesses in the area.

"But, how many restaurants does Kemang need? How many beauty salons do we need? We don't need hundreds," she said.

One of the pioneering restaurants in Kemang, Amigos Tex-Mex restaurant, has managed to survive the increasingly fierce competition and even opened a new branch in Bellagio Boutique Mall in Mega Kuningan. Established in 1979, the restaurant moved to Kemang from Central Jakarta in 1995. Amigos Tex-Mex restaurant assistant marketing manager Merry Hutagalung said the restaurant management had to follow the changing of times by redecorating its interior and promoting new dishes and drinks.

She said the restaurant already had a captive market that kept coming back.

"Our customers have been loyal since the day we opened," she said. "They have been frequenting Amigos since they were young. Now, the ones with children have introduced their children to Amigos and so on," she said.

Merry said a lot of new businesses in Kemang could not last long because they could not give customers what they wanted.

She said visitors from outside Kemang looked for entertainment to unwind from the daily stress of urban life.

"A lot of them *customers* are very sensitive if businesses do not give them the comfort to match their mood," she said.

Merry said a lot of restaurants offered similar concepts.

"Restaurants have to have their own trademark, which is a comfortable atmosphere, live music performances as an added entertainment or friendly service from waiters and restaurant managers," she said.

For Tika, caf*s and restaurants struggle because of lifestyle pressures.

She said caf* customers in Indonesia went to a particular restaurant not only because of the food or the atmosphere, but also because the place was trendy at that moment.

"They're not loyal customers, whenever there's a new trendier place, they will leave the old one behind," she said.

Tika said she was attempting to build a loyal customer base for her caf*, Kedai, by getting to know her customers on a personal level and making the place her customers' second home.

Her loyal customers are usually local Kemang residents.

She said she was also trying to maintain a local feel, by hiring locals living in Kemang.

One phenomenon she noted had changed in Kemang was the use of local hires by caf*s and restaurants. "When restaurants first emerged in Kemang, a lot of people embraced them as they hired local residents. Now, the new businesses do not hire locally anymore," she said.

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