TEA — The Kalasan Tea Shop, in Yogyakarta has become one of the icons of beverage shops besides other existing beverage shops. Although its location is outside the city, every weekend or holiday this shop is always crowded with visitors. So, don’t be disappointed when you visit this shop and find a sign that says closed because it has been reserved by guests.
The Kalasan Tea Shop is owned by a businessman in Jogja named Jhony TW, who has been in the tea business for more than 15 years. An entrepreneur who dares to go against the flow, amidst other entrepreneurs who are opening coffee shops. However, of course it is not without reason. Because, according to Jhony, the market share opportunities for this business are still very wide, but there are still few players who have entered this business. So, the competition in this business is still very little.
“In this business, we can still play around as we please. We can still control the price,” said Jhony in a conversation.
Jhony added, another reason he chose the tea shop business was because this business was simpler than the Coffee Cafe business. Because, for a Tea Shop business, you only need two tools. A Teapot and a Tea Strainer. While for a Coffee Cafe business, you need a large capital to buy equipment and you need certain skills to mix delicious coffee drinks.
“For the tea business, we can set the price as we please. For the coffee business, because there are many competitors, for the same price, consumers will compare it with other cafes. ” said Jhony
For someone who is interested in a Tea Shop business, they only need to consider two things, namely: the location of the shop and the target market to be targeted. Both are interrelated so they cannot be separated. Therefore, when starting a tea shop business, determine the market to be targeted, then choose the appropriate shop location. After that, just think about the menu and what type of tea is right to market.
For example, if you are targeting the youth market, the location of the shop must be near a campus or near a location where many young people often hang out there. Then the menu served, usually light and relaxing drinks such as: lemon tea (hot/ice), kombucha or tea with a combination of fruit flavors.
Meanwhile, if the target market is adults or young families who are already established, then the location of the shop chosen is close to offices or tourist attractions, with rather heavy menus such as: spiced tea concoctions, black tea or concoctions of several teas. Usually, this kind of tea concoction is served hot, so the shop must always be ready with sufficient heating.
Regarding understanding the tea concoction, Jhony said that it can be done while walking. While for starters, you can first use a ready-made tea concoction.
“Just do it first, later while walking, you will find a concoction that becomes the character of the shop. Then after finding the character, it can be sold as a signature menu of the shop. It’s okay if you don’t understand yet. Don’t give up, because tea concoctions from baristas can now be easily obtained and they are definitely delicious. “said Jhony.
