Photo: Apart from the Cireundeu area, Mixue outlets are also busy in shopping centers, one of which is in Gandari City. (CNBC Indonesia/Andrean Kristianto)
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Recently, there have been two unique phenomena in the food and beverage (FnB) business. While a well-known restaurant chain like Warunk Upnormal had to close many of its outlets, the Mixue ice cream business chain is actually expanding its wings by opening new outlets that are increasingly expansive.
Entrepreneurs consider this to be the case because the products offered by Mixue are unique plus a lower price tag.
“Maybe it’s because he (Mixue) is cheap, yes it tastes good, so it’s okay. I just don’t know how much it has good margins, I don’t know,” said Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) for Restaurants, Emil Arifin to CNBC Indonesia, Friday (10/2/2023).
It’s just that, Mixue has to learn from the rise of food and beverage business chains which are also closed.
“Selling volume, he’s chasing excitement, wow, people like this. But be careful during a crisis because a crisis hits a low class,” said Emil.
Meanwhile, Mixue is a franchise company from China that sells ice cream and contemporary drinks, which are currently in demand in Indonesia. One reason is because the price is cheap and tastes good.
One Mixue ice cream cone sells for IDR 8,000. This very affordable price makes Mixue able to compete with other companies that offer similar products but at a higher price.
As is well known, recently the name Warunk Upnormal has been sticking out precisely because many of its outlets have closed recently due to the pandemic. There is also Fish & Co closing many outlets in Indonesia starting at the end of 2022.
What happened in the restaurant business? Restaurants have indeed been hit the hardest during the pandemic because of social distancing rules that have triggered the mass closing of these businesses.
However, entrepreneurs admit that restaurants are also a business that is vulnerable to changes in market behavior.
“(Restaurants) can be very easy to close, reopen and so on, but this is our homework,” said Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Hariyadi Sukamdani at the opening press conference of PHRI 2023 National Working Meeting, Thursday (9/2/ 23).
(dce)
