JAKARTA - The culinary trend in Indonesia is no longer centered on trendy food. In recent years, regional specialty food products and traditional souvenirs are increasingly in demand because they offer authentic flavors while bringing stories about local culture.
The development of digital platforms also makes it easier for people to get typical foods from various regions without having to come directly to the original location.
This change in consumer behavior opens up new opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the culinary sector.
Not a few business actors who have started to package traditional products with a more modern appearance, expanding marketing through digital platforms, to utilizing non-cash payments to provide a more practical shopping experience.
One of the MSMEs that took advantage of this opportunity was Mama Khas Banjar, a Kalimantan specialty souvenir business initiated by Firli Norachim with his wife, Ani Andriani, in Banjarmasin in 2020. The business, which was born in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, started on a home scale with the goal of introducing a variety of culinary specialties of South Kalimantan to a wider market.
Carrying the concept of a modern souvenir center, Mama Khas Banjar presents various regional specialties, ranging from salted fish, fish abalone, amplang, sambal, local syrup, dodol, to various frozen foods. These products use seafood from coastal fishermen of Kotabaru and Pelaihari as the main raw materials.
The journey of building a business is not always smooth. In the early days of starting a business, Firli used his personal savings as seed capital. At that time, he and his wife were still working as employees so that business management was carried out after working hours.
"In the past, our capital, manpower, and time were very limited. However, these limitations are not an excuse to stop," recalled Firli.
As demand increases, production capacity, which was originally only around 20 kilograms of salted fish per month, has now grown to 1-2 tons per month. This growth has also encouraged the development of product variations, including fish compost, which is now produced in larger quantities than when it was first launched.
The development of the business is also seen from the increase in operational capacity. From what was originally run in a rented house, Mama Khas Banjar now has two outlets and employs dozens of employees.
In addition to product innovation, the use of digital technology is one of the factors that support business growth. Initially, marketing was carried out through marketplaces when people's activities were restricted during the pandemic. As the business progresses, Mama Khas Banjar then joined as a GrabMart merchant in 2023 so that consumers can order products more easily.
"As an MSME player, we must dare to innovate. We entered GrabMart, added the catalog, and followed the promo. It turns out that customers like it because they can order through the app and the goods are delivered directly," explained Firli.
Digitalization is also applied to the payment system. The presence of QRIS-based payments helps the transaction process to be more practical because the notification of payment is received directly, making it easier for daily recording and operations.
On the other hand, capital needs also increase as the scale of business increases. Firli then took advantage of GrabModal Mantul by OVO Finansial's digital funding facility to support business development, including adding product stocks and developing new innovations such as salted fish in souvenir packaging.
"With the additional capital, we can buy more goods to sell again. If the stock is available, sales can increase and eventually the business can continue to grow. In addition, the daily cutting scheme is very helpful. We don't have to think about monthly installments or due dates manually. We just focus on maintaining daily sales," said Firli.
In addition to obtaining access to funding, Mama Khas Banjar also participated in an SME digitization mentoring program that provides training on business strategies to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This experience is one of the resources to increase business competitiveness in the midst of changing consumer behavior.
The trend of increasing interest in local cuisine shows that traditional foods have great opportunities to develop when combined with innovation and the use of technology.
Ease of market access through digital platforms, increasingly practical payment systems, and financing support are factors that can help culinary MSMEs expand their reach while introducing the richness of regional tastes to more people.
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