Founding father Martabak Orient, Affan Achmad Affandi choosing martabak as a business area is not without reason. He himself is a connoisseur of martabak.
Cited page, CNN Indonesia, for Affan himself, it is important to struggle with something he likes because it will be done with the heart. Moreover, the pandemic situation and the increasing number of people who are becoming culinary businessmen don't make him flinch.
Affan says there is always a chance, Then the snack dishes have many types and are open to new innovations.
“Kami membuat satu tim, not as an entrepreneur but as a customer. What does the customer want?? Sweet snacks, but not too sweet, Then there's another wish. So we know, What points need to be developed,” ujar Affan.
He also does not hesitate to add ingredients that are popular in the market.
In addition to giving a new taste, in fact, ingredients such as cheese and premium chocolate do attract customers' attention. What Affan does is what is called contemporary culinary.
According to Fatmah Bahalwan, chef and culinary MSME activist, contemporary culinary terms come from social media. Actually, these foods are considered foods that are often found but are given a little additional different ingredients. Pancong cake with cheese, Cupcakes with chocolate and an attractive appearance can already be called contemporary culinary.
“Orang rela beli dengan harga lebih tinggi, compared to the same meal without additional toppings,” kata Fatmah.
However, Entering the culinary industry means having to be ready with innovation for innovation.
According to Fatmah, the disappearance of contemporary culinary types after viral or hits on the market is not a strange thing. Especially if the business actors do not maintain good service, there is no innovation of taste, ordinary packaging and quality is not as good as in the beginning of popularity.
In line with Fatmah, Faisal Hasan Basri, Secretary General of MSME Friends, said the current culinary turnover is indeed fast. Why is that?
“Ada dua hal, first, culinary actors, there are always new ones, Then secondly, in the previous cycle, people were more and more innovating, encourage people if they are not observant in looking at the market, they will be missed because there is a mass. That's why innovation has to go, digital marketing works too. Pandemic times like now the choice go digital or die," he explained.
While more and more culinary SMEs, existing culinary MSME actors should not only innovate but also see newcomers as a trigger for enthusiasm. According to Faisal, it would be even better if there was a collaboration.
Energy does not need to be focused on seeing competitors as real competitors. “Justru perputaran kuliner bisa bertahan karena inovasi, collaboration. SMEs can't be alone, must be networked so all roads and all success,” imbuhnya.
Read it too, History: Ade Putri's story about East Nusa Tenggara Culinary
