Mr. Syarifuddin from Pangkep, South Sulawesi
Coto Makassar is one of Indonesia’s favorite culinary delights from Makassar. Its fame made Mr. Syarifuddin, the owner of Coto Makassar eatery in Pangkep, South Sulawesi, choose it as a mainstay menu.
“It’s only been seven years since I continued the business that my parents built, but before that, I helped my parents in this shop. After I lost my father, it would be a pity to leave it behind, so I determined to continue this business,” said Mr. Syarif, opening up the conversation.
The Coto Makassar business has progressed even better since Mr. Syarif took over. There are more and more customers, even though several similar stalls are already around. Mr. Syarif’s Coto Makassar has characteristics that differ from other places.
“I cook coto using firewood, and the meat has no bones. So, it tastes better than the one cooked on a gas stove. This attracts more customers to my place,” said Mr. Syarif
Just imagine two cows only running out in two days to be made into Coto Makassar. Mr. Syarif sold 600 servings of Coto Makassar daily for Rp 25,000 per portion.
When the pandemic hit Pangkep and its surroundings, Mr. Syarif’s eatery experienced a slight decline because people were not allowed to leave their homes, and he did not serve food on the spot. Still, some pleasant events came among the bitter experiences. He said he once received sudden orders in a day, as many as 1.500 portions for an event. Suddenly, Mr. Syarif was very grateful, and there was no doubt.
Mr. Syarif, who joined KSP Sahabat Mitra Sejati 5 years ago, hopes that KSP Sahabat Mitra Sejati can continue to support SMEs. The working capital loan he once received was used to buy the building behind the stall he is currently occupying to replace it when the lease term has expired. Hopefully, Mr. Syarif will be given success and health so that he can always enliven the MSMEs in Indonesia.
