Imanuddin and Hajah Cicah Siti Hodijah are two such entrepreneurs. The two have one thing in common. They are members of a certain food stall owner group on Facebook.

Komunitas Gorengan (fritters community) exists to provide these hawkers a place to share and learn anything related to their business. This public group has 300,000 members from all across Indonesia.

Iman, 42, has been selling fritters, specifically the soybean-based oncom, since 2000. He owns several food stalls across Palembang. He moved out of his modest family home in Banyuasin, South Sumatra to make it as an entrepreneur in the city.

"My parents were farmers, they got married and then migrated [to South Sumatra]. I moved to Palembang to open my fried food business," said Iman.

Fried delicacies: One of Imanuddin's cart for selling fritters, located in front of a minimarket, (Personal collection/Courtesy of Imanuddin)

The 42-year-old man said he currently had five food stalls placed on a rented small area in front of a convenience store.

Iman believed his business success might have something to do with his unique branding. He markets his fritters as Gorengan Janda, which translates to "widow's fritter". However, janda here is a combination of Jawa-Sunda, referring to Iman's ethnic background — half Javanese and half Sundanese.

Fried food specialist

As part of his branding, Iman also calls himself Dr. Imanudin, Sp. Oc — the made-up "academic" title stands for Spesialis Oncom Goreng (Fried oncom specialist), a guarantee for his hungry "patients" that he has mastered the science of making fritters.

Meanwhile, Hajah Cicah, 64, and her husband Haji Amid Arid Hidayat, 64, run Bubur Ayam Hj. Amid, a bubur ayam (chicken porridge) business in Bandung that is considered a culinary icon of the city. It opened in 1997.

While bubur is not fried food, the couple are also members of the Fritters community on Facebook. Sundanese bubur ayam is typically sold with several toppings, including cakue, a type of fritter. She joined the group to learn more about making thinly sliced fried dough.

Their business is located on Jl. Pajajaran, one of the most crowded spots in the city. It has earned more than 4,000 reviews with an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google Maps.

They currently have 16 employees working for them. "They work with a mutual cooperation system. All employees must know everything [about the process] so their work is flexible," she said.

Hajah Cicah and her husband started her business years ago, in 1977. Before deciding to try their luck in the food industry, Hajah Cicah was a tailor, while Haji Amid was a construction worker.

She said they started their business from the very bottom. "Before [we settled here], I had to go around the city pushing a wheeled stall."

Legendary porridge: Bubur Ayam Pak H. Amid (Chicken Porridge by Mr. H. Amid) opened in 1997 and is considered a Bandung culinary icon. (Personal collection/Courtesy of Bubur Ayam Pak H. Amid )

When asked why they chose to sell their specialty, Hajah Cicah and Iman shared different thought processes. Hajah Cicah simply said, "Because bubur was the only thing we knew how to make back then."

Iman, on the other hand, said he was thinking about conquering a wide market. "Fritters can be enjoyed by all people regardless of their background and age, and I think this food can be consumed every day."

"Good enough"

Iman said his earnings had increased significantly since opening the stall in 2000, "When I first opened the stall, the turnover was Rp 500,000 per day, now it is Rp 2.5 million per day."

He has used their income to purchase two houses, in addition to supporting himself and his children.

Hajah Cicah declined to name a figure, but she said she and her husband had made their pilgrimage to Mecca with their earnings. Other than that, she said the money was put back into the business. "Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), what we make is good enough [to buy] food, clothing and shelter as well as to support our employees who have worked for us for years."

In the future, Iman plans to branch out his business. "Since I have five stalls in front of Indomaret, my dream is to become the owner [of a convenience store]."

Although the pandemic has negatively affected her business, Hajah Cicah is also hopeful of what is next to come. "In the future, we hope to have our own place of business, since the current one is rented. [We'd like to] have a large parking area, a comfortable and spacious dining area, and improve our facilities and amenities," she said.

When asked to share any advice for those who want to start a culinary business, the two merchants shared the same answer: "Be persistent."

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