Culinary UMKM Story Keeping Family Business for 28 Years, from Selling Pecel keliling to Utilizing AI

Moris' story, maintaining the culinary UMKM pecel by utilizing AI technology. (doc. Grab Indonesia)

JAKARTA - Continuing the family business is often considered a less attractive option for the younger generation. However, in the midst of rapid digital technology development, more and more young people actually see family heritage businesses as an opportunity to grow in a more creative way.

This is illustrated by the story of Moris Suhendi, the successor of Warung Bude Pecel Khas Wonogiri which has been around for almost three decades. The business was started by his mother in 1998 by selling pecel around in the Tangerang area. After finishing school, Moris started helping his mother sell.

His experience as an online motorcycle taxi driver then opened his insight into how culinary business actors use digital platforms to reach more customers. Armed with this experience, he began to bring his family's business into the digital realm.

"Previously, my mother only sold in the surrounding area of Tajur Village. After joining Grab, the customer's reach became wider. Orders can come from Bintaro to Kunciran. Customers who did not know our business could finally find and buy our menu," said Moris in a press statement from GrabMerchant to VOI, Friday, August 7.

However, for Moris, digital transformation does not stop at food ordering services. He also began to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to help with daily business operations, ranging from managing operating hours, managing menu availability, to understanding sales performance.

"This AI assistant is really used as an assistant, as the name suggests. If you want to extend the opening hours, change the schedule specifically for that day, or turn off the menu that has run out, the process is easier. Previously, you had to arrange everything manually. Now there is a shortcut to help manage the application," he said.

Moris also uses this technology to understand sales data and evaluate business strategies. One of the recommendations he applied was to present a bundling menu, which according to his business data was able to record sales 48.42 percent higher than the unit menu.

For him, AI is not a complicated technology, but a tool that anyone can learn.

"Maybe there are merchant friends who feel that AI is still complicated, but such assumptions need to be set aside first. We can start by asking the most basic things. After that, we will definitely get an answer. Usually, other questions will come to our minds on their own. We have to try first to know the benefits," he said.

Moris' experience shows that MSMEs do not have to abandon family recipes or traditions to thrive in the digital age.

It is precisely by combining the tastes that are passed down across generations and the use of technology as a support for decision-making, small businesses can reach a wider market while being managed more efficiently.

This story can also be a picture of the creativity of young generations not always realized by building new businesses, but can also be born from the courage to develop family businesses to remain relevant in the midst of changing times.

"We want to ensure that the latest technology can be used inclusively by various business scales, including family MSMEs. Therefore, the GrabMerchant AI Assistant is designed to be easy to use and relevant to merchant needs, so that they can support them in managing and developing their business sustainably. Through "Find Answers for Anything", we hope that more merchants will optimize the use of the features we provide," said Melinda Savitri, Country Marketing & Communications Head, Grab Indonesia.