Viagra with your coffee or a massage?

Wasti Atmodjo, Contributor ,  Denpasar   |  Tue, 05/19/2009 11:00 AM  |  Features

Coffee affair: The tasty Balinese coffee starts from these coffee makers, which leave you with the perfect blend of coffee.

What Starbucks is to the United States, the Bali Coffee House is to Indonesia – and Bali in particular.

The Bali Coffee House is more than just a restaurant or a place to drink coffee.

Wirawan Tjahjadi, owner of the Bali Coffee House, delibe-rately set out to make the place a one-stop coffee center.

The shop treats all the senses, with dozens of coffee-themed paintings on display, along with candles and aromatherapy items, all with coffee as their basic material.

When customers enter the Bali Coffee House, they are greeted with the rich aroma of coffee.

“Apart from the pleasant ambience, the coffee aroma that we provide creates a good first impression for all our visitors,” said Wirawan, who is better known as Wewe.

Customers can have their coffee made the way they like it, whether latte, espresso, cappuccino or something else, with a dazzling array of options: The Bali Coffee House boasts a hundred different coffee recipes — each with a different taste — because of the different mixtures of beans and coffee-making processes.

Coffee bean processing machines are on display in a number of glass cases mounted on the wall. Some are for sale, while others are on display because they are rare.

“I specially looked for some of them but there are many machines here that I came across when I went to coffee shows. Some are overseas products and others are local ones,” he said.

When it comes to coffee beans, Wewe provides not only his own factory’s produce, but also coffee beans from outside Bali and overseas, even some rare ones — including the most expensive in the world, Luwak coffee.

Luwak coffee is made from coffee beans that have been eaten by a luwak or civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and then excreted.

As Wewe pointed out, coffee beans are no use, no matter how superior or expensive, if they can’t be processed. “It’s better to come here and then order the coffee taste that you want,” he said.

His range of materials and machines means he can give customers the flavors they want, even those not included on the menu.

“If you just describe the taste that you want, or bring along a little sample, then we can certainly serve it,” he said.

The special products from his factory are marketed under three brand names: Kupu-Kupu Bola Dunia (Globe Butterflies), Ikan Bola Dunia (Globe Fish) and Warung Pojok (Corner Store).

“[Products under] the Warung Pojok brand are sold more cheaply, specially for customers with less money to spend. The other two brand names are for customers from the higher economic levels. So there is something for everyone.”

Coffee break: Allow your sense of taste and smell to mingle while enjoying this Balinese Coffee. You can also take the coffee home as souvenirs and gifts in pretty packaging.

Wewe also displays innovation in his packaging, using various handicrafts made from materials such as wood, bamboo and glass, which he obtains from working with a team of craftspeople. They also make small coffee-based ornaments such as candles, offerings, scrubs, soaps and aromatherapy items.

“We order these specially from the handicraft people, but the coffee materials come from us. This is one of our commitments toward helping the economy, which is the basis of democracy.”

Moreover, he said, no handicraft order is too large or too small.

“Whether we want to buy two or 10 they still supply us. This situation supports our vision to be innovative in our packaging and side products made from coffee,” he said.

Other products that are made from coffee materials include vinegar and Viagra, although these aren’t manufactured locally, Wewe said.

“Vinegar coffee must still be made in Taiwan and Viagra in Malaysia because there are some components of the products that Indonesia doesn’t have,” he said. “The result is so-so. We’re still in the process of getting permits from the Health Department so we can send these products across the country.”

To make the business more interesting, Wewe has developed partnerships with painters and sculptors.

His ideas about incorporating painting started when he was talking to Rudy Sri Handoko, an artist with a silk-screen business.

Wewe initially asked Rudy to design a T-shirt that included his company logo. He next asked Rudy to paint using coffee.

It took two years in a workshop to develop the right process. Rudy painted using coloring from coffee mixed with acrylic.

“It seems that coffee can degrade to a special chocolate color. This is appreciated by those artists who have a particular talent. So works can be created with a more humanistic character, which makes this really interesting,” he said.

Following the success with the paintings Wewe then thought about providing space for the
art to be appreciated; out of this was born a coffee gallery, which is a no-smoking area in the Bali Coffee House.

Then he started involving other artists, including a sculptor whose work is displayed in the corners
of the rooms. All of the sculptures are made from the wood of the coffee bush.

In the same building Wewe provides a room for meetings and classes about coffee. When not being rented, the space is sometimes used to train people in how to make coffee, usually restaurant and hotel workers, as well as partners of the Bali Coffee House.

Perfect purchase: Making a cup of perfect coffee at home is as easy as 123 with this various kinds of coffee brewers and coffee makers.

Wewe said he was also planning to create a coffee package tour. Tour participants would visit plantations and be able to see how coffee is harvest. The visitors would then go to his factory to see the processing and packaging.

His plan is to have up to three groups each day, with between 10 and 35 people in each group.
“This will be a special tour during the coffee harvest season between June and August. There are a number of guests from Malaysia who are ready to come,” he said.

Participants would also take part in a special class to learn about the character of various types of coffees, the background of the coffee machines and tips on how to mix coffee beans.

“For this coffee class we already have the module and the certificate,” he said.

As part of the training, participants could also try a massage using oils made from coffee, for which Wewe has already provided a special place.

The program will be promoted not only for tourists, but also for those wanting to open restaurants, sell coffee or become baristas.

He has no plans to open any branches, although a lot of people have expressed an interest in becoming his partner.

“I’ll make sure of this concept first, and also prepare the staff. Actually the franchise system could be applied, but I don’t just want to do that just yet.”

Wewe also wants to use the coffee training program to help high school drop-outs who want to become baristas so they can develop the skills to start a business or get a job.

“The concept of the Bali Coffee House is for a one-stop coffee shop. It involves selling, sharing knowledge and giving others an opportunity to get a job,” he said.

— Photos by Wasti Atmodjo

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