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Kampung Starling, the nerve center of coffee on a bike
'Starling' coffee sellers can sell roughly 9,000 cups of instant coffee daily.
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There are around 500 coffee sellers in Kampung Starling and they are supplied by nine wholesalers, who also run their business from Kampung Starling. Almost all of them come originally from Madura Island in East Java. (JP/I Gede Dharma JS)
“Welcome to the roving coffee sellers’ area,” read the words written on the red entrance gate to Jl. Prapatan in Senen, Central Jakarta, an area now known as Kampung Starling.
Parked along the first 100 meters of the road were hundreds of bicycles and dozens of food wagons. The bicycles belonged to a group of men referred to as starling.
The term is derived from “Starbucks keliling” a play on the name of the famous American coffeehouse chain, with keliling meaning mobile, hence they are roving coffee sellers.
In the front part of each bicycle, sachets of instant drinks of various brands hang from the basket, including coffee, tea, fruit-flavored beverages and milk. Also placed in the basket are prepacked cups of instant noodles and light snacks such as nuts. On the back of the bike, meanwhile, is an icebox, thermos, plastic cups and cigarettes.
It was early on Wednesday afternoon and Slamet, one of the starling, had just woken up from his nap. Just like any other day, he had worked from dusk until dawn and then slept throughout the morning.
“I wake up in the afternoon and then prepare my bike for the night. After dusk prayers, I hit the road again and sell coffee until the next morning,” Slamet told The Jakarta Post.
“I only roam around Senen, from here to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and Jl. Proklamasi. When I was younger, I could ride my bike as far as Pancoran [in South Jakarta],” he added.
