By Adithya Pratama
In anticipation to their first outlet in Singapore, Hey Diaspora’s resident chef, Adithya Pratama (aka yours truly), had the chance to chat with Lucy Wiryono, who was accompanied by her husband, Afit Dwi Purwanto – the husband-and-wife team behind Jakarta’s steakhouse du jour, Holycow! Steak. Together they shared their passion, the hard yet rewarding road of entrepreneurship, and of course, their soon-to-be-opened first international outlet.
How did the idea for Holycow! Steak first come about?
Holycow! started out as home cooking. Afit enjoys cooking steak so much and together we declared ourselves as “steak hunters”. Afterwards, together with Winda and Wanda as our partners, we came up with the idea to actually turn this hobby into a business. Winda and Afit then quit their day jobs in TV stations after realizing that this venture will demand lot of time and effort, and would change their daily routines.
We started off with a mere Rp 100 million, not a very big amount for a Jakarta-based business. That’s why we limited our first place to a warung. We then knocked on every door in the Jalan Radio Dalam stretch for permission – being chased out became somewhat normal, until then we finally found our first place.
What do you think it is that makes Holycow so popular among urban Jakartans?
It’s a hit? (laughs) We never imagined Holycow to be this big! We’re just selling good food with a good attitude and a good feel. We believe that we are not only selling the food, but also providing good service to our customers.
We also believe that we have introduced the wagyu culture among middle-class Jakartans. As we all know, good wagyu beef was only accessible through eating at five-star hotels and fine dining restaurants, and costs a hell lot of money. We wanted to change that. With less utility bills in this warung, we could provide a more affordably-priced wagyu beef for our customers. Being consumers ourselves, we understand that customers do care about good quality food, so why compromise with the flavour just for a little bit of extra margins?
You started out in television, as a TV host and announcer for sports-themed programs. Why did you decide to do something totally different by opening Holycow?
I’m actually still working for TV right now. Only Afit and Winda quit their day jobs; Wanda is still working for an advertising agency. This is not only something different, it is also something new to me. Each of us has their own role in this business: Afit is in charge of the food, as per his passion; Winda with her obsession in people management; Wanda with his design matters; and I with my passion in doing public relations and marketing innovations. By quiting their day job, Afit and Winda are the ones who really sacrificed a lot to help us kickstart in the industry.
How has being your own boss been? Do you like it better than being employed?
It feels really good. We believe that by being our own boss, we could also give back to the community. Not only do we provide more job opportunities, but we are also providing scholarships for orphans and also donating for disasters that happened in Mentawai, Merapi and Wasior few months back. We also believe that giving benefits for others should start as early as possible in the business, no matter how small it is. This way you will stay on track for your goal. This is the kind of attitude that we strongly hold on to, that we cannot do by being employees.
What was the hardest part of being an entrepreneur? Did you ever have any thoughts of quitting and coming back to television?
There is no quitting in our vocabulary. We have at least 60 people that rely on us for their own lives. Honestly, I don’t find anything to be too hard to handle in this path, because if you do things with passion, nothing is too hard. The thing about being an entrepreneur is that you cannot stop thinking; always remember that competitors will always run after you. So you will always have to think of something fresh and new, each and everyday.
Of all places, why do you choose Singapore to be your first international location?
We see Singapore as a place with high standards and regulation. We feel that we could learn a lot here as compared to Indonesia, where we kind of have to “setup” our own rules. If we could handle Singapore regulation, it’ll be a really great educational experience, and we can introduce these rules and regulations for our outlets in Jakarta to benefit our customers there.
We know for a fact that the Singapore TKP is at the Lucky Plaza food court. Why the location?
Everybody knows Lucky Plaza. Everybody knows Orchard Road. We nearly gave up on seeking for places around Newton and Orchard area; the agency told us that they can’t promise anything up to the next six months to a year. But as he was about to leave, one of the owners called up and told us that there’s an opening; the catch is that we have to be ready in three months. We agreed since Lucky Plaza also houses quite a lot of Indonesians, both Singapore residents or tourists, and we want to make Indonesians proud when they see a happening Indonesian brand open in Singapore.
About the food court location, we believe that big things could start from even a simplest and cheapest place. Just like our first warung in Radio Dalam, why do we have to be ashamed about the location? It is actually a great experience for an entrepreneur to learn a lot of stuff instead of having boundaries to keep up with your so-called luxurious standards.
We heard that it will be called a “Steak Hotel”. What is the concept like? How is it different from your Jakarta TKPs?
It will be the same concept, affordable steak with hotel quality. We will still provide lots of freebies too in our concept here. We will have lots of add-on varieties, like spicy fries, onion rings, and everything else.
Promotion-wise, special for PPI Singapura, we have decided that all PPIS members will have free one-portion add-on by showing his or her membership card. The regular birthday promotion will also be applicable here; just show your ID and let us know that it’s your birthday and you’ll get a free portion of steak. And special for our opening, for three days we will give out 50 free steaks per day at certain hours for those who shows their tweet mentioning @holycowsteak to us. For the exact dates do follow us on Twitter!
Some of us might have been familiar with Holycow! Steak and the menus, but for those who aren’t, what would you serve in Singapore and would there be any differences from the Jakarta menu?
We will be serving our signature Wagyu and also Porterhouse Steak, which is a new addition to our menu.
Any personal favorites from the menu?
Wagyu Sirloin with its thick layer of fats. We’re not tenderloin persons, so sirloin has got to be our favorite.
As anak kos-kosan, international edition, this is our main concern: what is your price range for Singapore?
The price is still on discussion, but it will range from S$10 up to S$30 for our signature Wagyu.
Last but not least, as a successful entrepreneur with Holycow! Steak, what would you advise our beloved business students on starting a business?
Don’t be afraid to try something new and don’t limit yourself with unnecessary things, such as your lack of self-esteem. Be self-sufficient and dare yourself to constantly think and be constantly innovative; you won’t survive without innovation. Not to forget in treating your customers and employees as your most valuable assets.
A good business is one that is executed, and not just thought.
Get the PPI Singapura Membership Card for a free one-portion add-on at Holycow! Steak Lucky Plaza! Register here, it’s free and easy!
