Running a cafe that doubles as a live music venue is no easy feat, and this is especially so when the cafe in question is located in the West Java city of Bogor, nicknamed “Rain City” for the unpredictability of its weather. The prolonged pandemic certainly hasn’t helped, either.

Farhan Adrinanto, the founder of Hagu Coffee & Space, had understood the challenges that might come his way from the get-go. That said, ever since Hagu Coffee & Space opened its doors this March, Farhan and his team have hosted several live mini concerts featuring indie musicians. Six months on, and Farhan still maintains a straightforward and simple mindset.

“Bogorians love hanging out. And they need entertainment!” the 26-year-old Bogor native told The Jakarta Post on Aug. 20, using the local vernacular for the city’s residents.

Filling a ‘void’

The idea for Hagu Coffee & Space came when Farhan observed a “void” in the “music activation” scene in his hometown. However, according to his prior research, Bogor residents generally preferred more than a run-of-the-mill amphitheater.

“That’s why, at least in the minds of Bogorians, the most suitable space would be a cafe or a bar. That’s why we settled on a food-and-beverage establishment,” he said.

That said, Farhan and his team were aware that cafes had been mushrooming of late in Bogor, each with a signature style. To remain competitive, they decided that Hagu Coffee & Space would prove a point: that a cafe can be just as entertaining and ingenious as the glitziest, most glamorous bars in Jakarta.

“People can seek an experience beyond simply sipping a cup of coffee,” said 25-year-old Fajar Bagas Adhi, the cafe’s marketing manager.

“First is our ‘music activation’. Second is how our coffee shop can be a space for the customers. Third is how it can also be a space for workshops.

“Why would customers need to go all the way to Jakarta to enroll in a workshop? Do they think a coffee shop in Bogor can’t host them?” he added

Another question soon popped up as Farhan and his team developed Hagu: Were these twentysomethings perhaps too young to run a cafe with such a grand concept? Bagas said that at a certain point, he was worried that they might have bit off too much to begin with.

“We felt like, ‘Are we rushing into this? Is our concept a bit ill-conceived?’“ he recalled.

Ultimately, they decided to keep chewing anyway.

“We [also] felt like we shouldn’t overthink things, only to end up being too afraid to do anything. The insane thing, though, was that [even] when our concept was still undeveloped, Farhan had already gone ahead and secured the land.

“I remember him saying, ‘I secured the land because one, I love the spot, and two, this is concrete proof from me that I’m serious about this,’” Bagas added.

Design-wise, Hagu Coffee & Space is a one-story coffee shop split into two adjacent but differently themed spaces: a modest, indoor area and the more capacious, open-aired space resembling a scaled-down courtyard.

“It doesn’t need to exude splendor or lavishness. It should feel homey, but also offer a somewhat modish feel. We all know that rain is unpredictable in Bogor,” said Farhan. “Still, I much prefer a spot that offers a more spacious outdoor area than an indoor area.”

As for the cafe’s ideal customers, Farhan said that initially, Hagu Coffee & Space had targeted only Bogor youth. “However, the more we went on, older people and young parents have come to love our menu [as well].”

Supporting indie artists

Hagu Coffee & Space is currently running two “music activation” programs: Music Service Announcement and Beats & Beans. According to Farhan, the former presents “live shows by either a soloist or a band” while the latter focuses on “DJ sets paired with a visual jockey”.

Persuading musicians to perform at the cafe had always been “terribly difficult”, Bagas said. One of the most typical responses he received from musicians and their management was that throwing a concert in Bogor would be redundant, since it was so close to Jakarta.

“Whenever we approach talents to perform here, they would be like, ‘We’ve already done a gig in Jakarta. If we do another one in Bogor, we’re afraid the tickets won’t sell,’” he said.

Bagas has a strategy to counter such skepticism: “We offer a sort of guarantee. We make sure that the talents don’t need to worry about the sound system and stuff because we [provide] those things. What’s important is that the talent shows up and the Bogorians also get to know their music.”

So far, his strategy has proved rewarding. While Hagu Coffee & Space is relatively new, it has hosted mini concerts featuring artists of different genres from across the country, such as Munhajat, Hursa, Coldiac, Voxxes, Silampukau, Barry Likumahuwa & The Rhythm Service, GANGGA and Bilal Indrajaya.

In curating prospective performers, Bagas admitted that the Hagu team had a soft spot for indie musicians.

“We believe that indie talents need a lot of support, especially when it comes to touring. For instance, the other day we hosted Car Crash Coma. They’re from [Surakarta] and they’re very passionate about their music, but it’s not easy for them to book tour venues,” he said.

Mocktail experiment

Despite Hagu Coffee & Space’s musical focus, Farhan and his team never forget that they are running a cafe. To attract the town’s epicures, they have come up with a menu in tune with the latest culinary trends among the more sophisticated urbanites.

Its Smoked Beef Bacon, for instance, is a dish of butter rice with lime leaves, topped with smoked beef cut bacon-style and sambal matah.

Moreover, Farhan and his team discovered that mocktails were all the rage among younger millennials and Gen Z youths. The cafe’s signature Boogie Candyland mocktail, a fusion of candy, orange, strawberry and vanilla flavors, has proven a hit among its customers.

“We’re [trying out] mocktails in the hope that Bogorians who haven’t had a chance to try mocktails in Jakarta or Bandung can try them for the first time here,” said Farhan.

For customers thirsting for a more tangy taste with a bite, a must-try is the cafe’s Buitensoul: Liong Bulan cold brew with cinnamon, ginger, lemon and club soda, served in a can. Liong Bulan happens to be one of Bogor’s signature coffees dating back to 1945.

“The fun thing, though, putting aside our attempt to ride the mocktail wave, is that we got to explore lots of ingredients. [We also] found ourselves getting serious about mocktails,” Bagas said, adding that the cafe’s bar staff went and enrolled in mixology workshops.

In line with its holistic approach to embracing contemporary trends, Hagu Coffee & Space also hosts the Fit! Club. In it, the cafe’s patrons get to take part in various fitness sessions, such as Zumba and yoga.

Husna Ghaisani, a 26-year-old accounting advisor and a Hagu regular, praised the cafe for delivering an overall package that she liked.

“Besides the food, I really adore the cafe’s ambiance and how the concept is like a green, open space nestled in the city. It is so enjoyable for anyone to doze off while a soft breeze blows or to get all melancholic as the rain pours down,” she said.

Hagu Coffee & Space is open daily from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. and serves only halal food. The cafe is also available to book for private parties. For reservations and more information, check out @hagu.space on Instagram.

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