The Winding Path of a Young Entrepreneur

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Dwi Yulianto

Dwi Yulianto, has been drawn into the culinary world. Following many twists and turns over the last decade, the 32-year-old has opened a popular restaurant in Cilacap, Central Java. The restaurant is now changing the fortunes of Dwi and dozens of school dropouts.

Dwi was born in Cilacap and came from a disadvantaged family. His father was a security officer; his mother sold tempe mendoan (fried battered tempeh) at a school canteen. Together, they did not earn enough income to pay for Dwi to pursue his education expenses through college. As a youth, he was well aware of his family’s financial condition. After finishing junior high school, Dwi therefore decided to enroll at a (SMK) so he could immediately find work or start a business after graduation.

Dwi chose culinary management as his preferred program. Many ridiculed his choice, because the culinary world was considered the domain of women.

“Some of them said I would later [start acting] like a woman. It wasn’t appropriate for me to go to school with a female majority, as I would become a transvestite. I was sad and cried, my self-confidence was dashed,” recalled Dwi.

He continued to tell himself that his field of study would set him on a path to becoming a culinary businessman.

His self-confidence fell even further as he started at SMK 3 Purwokerto vocational high school in 2004, where he found only two male students in the culinary management program. However, slowly but surely, he regained his confidence. He continued to tell himself that his field of study would set him on a path to becoming a culinary businessman.

“I was convinced I would become a culinary entrepreneur. I didn’t feel fit to become a civil servant. I don’t like working in an office. So, [my] chance at progress was to become a businessman in a field that I liked,” said Dwi, who founded his own business during his studies. He made cakes as he learned in school and sold them at food stalls in his neighborhood. He also worked part-time at a catering business.

Upon graduating from the SMK, Dwi worked at a variety of culinary businesses in Purwokerto, Bandung and Jakarta. With his yearlong experience in other cities, he decided to return home and start his own culinary business. He sold martabak manis (sweet, filled pancakes) for two years and eventual opened Babeh Restaurant, originally as a stall on the plot of a former farm. His borrowed Rp 5 million in capital from a bank and bought the plot in installments.

“I started this culinary business from scratch. Sometimes, I can’t believe that I’ve been guided by God to own Babeh Restaurant, which employs 58 workers,” Dwi said in Cilacap on Thursday (30/07/2020).

The grilled chicken the eatery offered sold well. Three years later, Dwi opened another outlet 50 meters from the restaurant, this time a bistro. When food delivery mobile applications started picking up pace in Cilacap about four years ago, the number of Babeh customers increased. The restaurant even topped the list of online food sales in Cilacap on two of the most popular apps.

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Dwi Yulianto and his restaurant workers.

Customers thronged to his restaurant, filling the two-story restaurant and its lesehan (floor-seating) during meal times.

School dropouts

As the business thrived, Dwi realized he needed many more workers. Young people came looking for a job from the villages, especially Ajibarang, Banyumas regency, the majority of whom had dropped out of junior or senior high school because they were unable to pay the school fees.

Dwi received them with open arms. “I welcome whoever wants to work with sincerity and are willing to learn. Those who come here really need a job to help their family members in villages and have limited education,” said Dwi in the thick local accent.

Dwi has developed a friendly working environment to help the youths feel at home. He doesn’t hesitate to visit his employees’ families so he can be better acquainted with their financial situation.

“Some of their houses still had earthen floors and bamboo walls and [have] no toilets. Two to three years after I revisited them, thank God, their houses had improved. I’m grateful I’ve been able to employ them and make their lives better,” he said.

They offer the same menu as Dwi’s restaurant, but he doesn’t see them as business rivals.

Dwi not only teaches the young workers how to cook and serve customers, but also how to run a business. As a result, some of his workers have opened their own food stalls in Cilacap and other regions. They offer the same menu as Dwi’s restaurant, but he doesn’t see them as business rivals.

“For me, those who have managed to open their own eateries deserve my support. There’s no competition,” he stressed.

Dwi added that he had founded Babeh Restaurant not merely to serve his personal interests. He would like to see his restaurant give jobs to poor people. This awareness stems from Dwi’s own disadvantaged background.

Dwi’s success at a young age and his perseverance in becoming a culinary entrepreneur has inspired other youths. Almost every year, Dwi is invited to SMK 3 Purwokerto vocational school as a motivational speaker. He shares the story of his winding journey to becoming an entrepreneur and a confident individual.

Dwi also shares his experience in starting his own business with his neighbors and students at several pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in Cilacap and Banyumas. He wants people who want to start a business to have the courage to move forward, despite their limited capital.

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Dwi Yulianto and his restaurant customers.

Dwi Yulianto

Born: Cilacap, 13 July 1988

Wife: Evi Sulastri

Child: Aisyah Sarafana Putri Ramadhani

Education: SMK 3 Purwokerto vocational senior high school, culinary management program

Award: Runner-up, Student Skills Competition in Restaurant Services, Central Java Province (2006-2007)