From Italy, Nusantara Coffee Is Increasingly Global

YOGYAKARTA - An Italian, Alain Scialoja, has revolutionized in the Indonesian coffee culture. A transformation from the warmness of coffee shops towards a more personal and sophisticated home storming experience. Scialoja coffee roasting products have also successfully penetrated homes.

Scialoja, which comes from the country of Spageti, certainly has a very long coffee tradition. It's like, he not only likes coffee, including capuccino, but also roasting it to be really delicious coffee.

This all started when Scialoja came to Indonesia four years ago. He was really impressed by the landscape of Nusantara coffee.

Scialoja, who later settled in Bali, was amazed because from Sabang to Merauke had coffee with a different taste. He also fell in love with Indonesia, especially Indonesian coffee.

An extraordinary wealth. Each region has coffee with a different taste. This can be different because Indonesia's geographical conditions are different. Everyone has their own uniqueness and is very Indonesian. The taste of coffee is really classic," said Scialoja when met on the sidelines of Jogja Coffee Week in Yogyakarta, Friday, September 5, 2025.

He did not expect that Indonesians would turn out to be coffee fans. In almost every area there are always coffee shops filled with visitors. The Nusantara coffee community is also a concern for Spalioja.

The encounter with Nusantara coffee and the farmers made Scialoja not just want to be a coffee connoisseur. The love of a Salcioja for coffee is getting thicker which makes him pursue the coffee business.

I really fell in love with Indonesian coffee. Especially when I met the farmers. I saw that there were many stories and communities behind it, "said Scialoja, who turned out to be familiar with the cooperative model in Indonesia. When the Red and White Village Cooperative had not yet surfaced, Scialoja had revived the spirit of cooperative coffee farmers.

From a meeting with coffee farmers and product development through cooperatives, Scialoja created a brand, Koro Roasters. According to him, the idea of that name is not far from his journey to trace the Nusantara coffee map. Koro can be interpreted as coffee roasting.

But it can also be interpreted as a cooperative. This comes from our experience meeting farmers, understanding their stories," he said.

Koro Roasters was founded in 2024. Although it has only been one year, Scialoja coffee roasting products are able to penetrate hotels, restaurants, cafes to households. Koro RoASTERs coffee also comes from various regions which then produces 20 ready-to-eat products.

Just call Gayo and Kerinci coffee from Sumatra. There is Kamojang from West Java. There is also Toraja, Tana Luwu from Sulawesi to Papua. In processing coffee beans, we really pay attention to quality. In addition, we always receive feedback from customers," he said.

Typical Indonesia

Koro Roasters' approach when introducing his products is indeed typical of Indonesia. He witnessed how the personal interaction of the coffee shop community was. Customers are like family so that communication at coffee shops is really very close. The spirit of togetherness, kinship is also the focus of Koro Roasters.

"We are building this business like an Indonesian family business: starting from what is there, focusing on quality, treating customers like family, and growing organically. Technology only helps us do it more efficiently on a large scale," said Scialoja, which indirectly grows home coffee lovers. Although they usually hang out at coffee shops, those who usually have coffee will brew it while at home.

According to him, while maintaining quality and consistently meeting the expectations of home coffee lovers, customers will still enjoy their products. Moreover, Koro Roasters emphasized the transparency of coffee origins. In every package, information is always listed about the area of origin of coffee, the name of the farmer and the instructions for brewing.

"The transition from coffee shop to home storming is not only about how to drink coffee, but how Indonesians enjoy coffee. We are proud to be part of this movement, bringing Indonesian premium coffee to those who value their story and quality," he said.

The Koro Roasters, according to him, is a reflection of Indonesia's unique coffee culture transformation. Cultural authenticity combines a rich coffee heritage with a modern touch and maintains the social spirit of the stall.

Unlike other clusters, Koro Roasters chose the first digital strategy to market its products. Sales are made almost completely online. This allows the product to penetrate the international market, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

"Every Indonesian coffee area has extraordinary potential. Our job is to open up these feelings and bring the story to the world. We want to show that Indonesia's coffee diversity is unmatched globally," said Socialoja.

"In the future, Indonesian coffee will continue to expand the international market, develop new processing innovations, and build direct trade which ensures farmers receive premium prices for extraordinary quality," he said.