Smartcitymakassar.com. --Makassar- Makassar is the ‘heaven’ for culinary and café
business. One can find at every corners
of this city restaurants and cafés providing variety of different, interesting,
unique offers.
Located at
the southern part of Makassar, at Jalan Lanto Daeng Pasewang No. 6, a unique
café stands there. Carrying ‘eatery and
coffee shop’ concept, this culinary business combining between restaurant and
café. Launched just last September 2015,
Sultan Hasanuddin, the owner of this business, labeled his business ‘District
26’.
Taking
look at the interior design of this café, a strong image appears that their
market segments the youth and middle to high class. The first impression appears promptly that the
café concept and ‘philosophy’ offers familiarity. At the right side of the wall, a long table
that has a look of bartender table is elegantly ordered. A coffee machine was there. This table is the place where variety of
drinks and coffee were made and mixed.
Taking a
look at the wall behind the bartender table, a unique menu with impressive look
was put. The menu is designed as a
handwriting look on a blackboard. A
sense of dynamic, young-looking spirit, and anti-establishment was so strong as
entering into the café.
The
stronger sense soon comes as looking around the interior. Graffito-style paintings were dominated the
room. Postmodernism coupled with
minimalism is the right description of this room. Chairs and tables for consumers are rather
small-scale, however, fit to the room interior.
According
to District 26 Café owner, Sultan Hasanuddin, the interior is designed to make
the consumers comfortable. The price is
the other most interesting offer. The
price is truly fit to youth’s pocket.
From all top-listed menus, such as ‘nasi bakar’ (roasted rice), ‘ayam
penyet’ (crushed-flat chicken), and some coffee menus, they are under 20.000
Rupiahs.
“With
five-star nuance and food-street price, we offer the best to our consumer”,
said Sultan Hasanuddin. Indeed, Café
District 26 exists to offer interesting and impressive offer for Makassar
youths who love to hang out. We can see,
and no doubt, that most of Café District 26’s consumers are from different
several youth communities around Makassar.
As it
happens, the tighter and more competitive café business environment in Makassar
as today requires the business to be smarter, for example, in developing their
brand identity. The ability to segment
the market and followed by the ability to manage it innovatively are
non-negotiable condition to survive within this business area. “We segmented the niche market of youth and
community group, which are still big and still unexplored. We do expect that our consumer do not only
come here to eat and drink but come here to build their identity”, said
Sultan.* (Thoha
Pacong)
