Success comes to those who never give up. This proverb describes the struggle of Kevin Rayhan Pratomo, an accounting student at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) UGM, who never gave up on his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. He dared to leave his comfort zone and risk starting a business.
“If you never try, you will never know,” said Kevin when contacted on Friday (2/8).
Kevin revealed that he initially searched for a suitable business until he found Joffi Ramen, a franchise restaurant offering various Japanese-style menus. The relatively low menu prices, affordable for students, and the great potential in Yogyakarta were the main reasons for Kevin to choose this business. In starting his business, he did some pitching and collaboration. He also supervised the financial records and marketing.
This student from the international undergraduate program (IUP) class of 2021 began his journey in the Food and Beverages (FnB) industry in 2023. He runs a restaurant that offers various Japanese dishes, such as ramen, gyoza, dim sum, and cheesecake. The name of his restaurant is Joffi Ramen, located on Jl. Gerilya, Brontokusuman, in the Prawirotaman area, Yogyakarta.
Although his restaurant business in Yogyakarta has excellent potential, it also faces challenges. The competitive business environment in the FnB sector and consumers’ tendency to follow trends are some of the challenges he faces in running his business.
“The competition in the FnB business is very tough. Almost every month, there is a new restaurant offering something new and more competitive,” he said.
Another problem arises during the semester break. During this time, his business experienced a decline because most of his customers, who were students, returned to their hometowns.
However, an entrepreneur is only called an entrepreneur if they can overcome challenges and obstacles in business. Kevin developed several innovations to overcome these challenges. First, Joffi Ramen always ensures consistency in taste so that consumers can become regular customers regardless of trends. Second, it’s not just about taste; Joffi Ramen also innovates in marketing and works with Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) to keep Joffi Ramen trending every month and attract trend-following consumer markets. Kevin admitted that he learned these innovative strategies from his experiences in organizational management, committees, and marketing courses at FEB UGM.
After more than a year in the FnB world, Kevin feels that ups and downs in business performance are inevitable. He believes that even though business performance sometimes falls short of expectations, the key is always believing in your own business and innovating.
“Always persevere and believe in your business. Don’t give up easily because sometimes the results can only be reaped. So don’t hesitate to try, keep striving, and believe that there is a possibility of success,” he concluded.
Reportage: Najwah Ariella Puteri
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