Coffee shops offer perfect ambiance for chat

Indah Setiawati ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Manado   |  Fri, 05/15/2009 1:09 PM  |  World Ocean Conference

If it not for the row of coffee shops, the narrow street of Jl. Roda would perhaps not have such an endearing appeal for Manado residents and visitors. Surrounded by multistory buildings in the downtown area, offers a different atmosphere for visitors.

Fredrick Pedan, 64, sipped his milk coffee and wore a content expression before continuing his chat with his old buddy Niko Waani, 78. They are both regulars at the Warung Kopi Goes coffee shop here.

Although the coffee shops look very modest, they offer a distinctively unique service of a delicious half-cup of coffee for a mere Rp 1,000 to Rp 1,500 (10 to 15 US cents). Nor do they mind if customers ask for more sugar and hot water, all for no extra charge.

"It's unique, right? When I was young I heard about this service and was a bit hesitant to try. But I finally ordered a half-cup of coffee. As it was too bitter, I asked for more sugar and hot water," Fredrick told The Jakarta Post enthusiastically on Wednesday.

Venti Potabuga, the daughter-in-law of Warung Kopi Goes' late owner Yuli Ointu, said the free-of-extra-charge service had already existed since Yuli opened the coffee shop in the 1970s.

Most of the coffee sold along Jl. Roda is robusta coffee from Kotamobagu, the capital of Bolaang Mongondow regency in North Sulawesi, which has long been famous for the coffee it produces.

A kilogram of coffee beans costs Rp 40,000.

"The process of making our coffee is special. We roast the coffee seeds and grind them with a little sugar and butter," Venti said.

Yusran Sagaf, a younger family member, poured some milk into a cup. In his left hand he had a black filter made of soft cloth, while from his right he quickly poured out hot coffee from a big pot.

Besides selling good coffee, Jarod, as Jl. Roda is affectionately called by locals, has long served as a hangout place for people from all walks of life.

A newspaper boy, a penitentiary warden and a lecturer from Sam Ratulangi University were seated together at a table on Wednesday. They talked about the latest news of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's choice of Bank Indonesia Governor Boediono as his running mate for the July 8 presidential election. They also discussed the ongoing World Ocean Conference (WOC) and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Summit.

"People usually talk politics over here," said newspaper boy Roy Keiko.

"Some of them are North Sulawesi legislators, Manado celebrities and much more. Businesspeople usually sit at the table in the middle to talk about anything and everything related to their businesses."

He then pointed out the tables where police officers usually had lunch, and those where newspaper boys usually sat at, next to the tables where local journalists usually mingled. The last tables on the street are usually occupied by people playing chess or cards, he said.

John Ihawa, the warden, said People's Conscience Party (Hanura) chairman Wiranto and former Jakarta governor Sutiyoso recently had coffee in one of the shops there.

He added people could enjoy musical performances by local bands in the afternoon. The performances are usually held to collect funds from visitors to help sick local artists or to fix public facilities on the street.

"I hope the government will not change this old-style street into another public facility," he said.

"Although it's a bit of a slum, the street carries deep meaning for many people," he said.

Niko, sitting at the table next to John's, said he used to have a store selling construction material near Jl. Roda, and always had lunch at one of the shops on the street.

Apparently old habits die hard for him. He keeps coming back to Jl. Roda, even though he had already sold his store, as none of his children wanted to continue in the business.

"In the 1950s, there were no coffee shops here. Many people sold sacks along this street," he said.

"Honestly, I regret my decision to sell the store. The price *of property* is now high."

Fredrick said many coffee shop owners had earlier occupied a spot nearby before they were evicted by the Manado administration. They moved to Jl. Roda in the 1970s after the Manado administration began the construction of the 45 Market in their previous spot.

According to him, people called the street Jl. Roda (Wheel Street) because lots of horse-drawn carts used to pass down this alley decades ago transporting goods for trading.

Coffee shops along the street open from 7 a.m. and close at about 7 p.m., providing just the right space for people to mingle and talk

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