Baba Rafi Enterprises: The beginning, the establishment, the expansion

Kebab Turki Baba Rafi is the worlds largest Kebab restaurant chain. Offering top class traditional food from the Middle East, the restaurant grew inevitably, from a small push cart on the side of the road. All of this establishment, growth and expansion was only because of one man. Mr Hendy Setiono. Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Kebab Turki Baba Rafi, started from a push cart on the side of the road, that was destined to be the greatest one day. Now, I could write for ages about the amazing, fabulous, fantastic, top class food they offer, or I could jump to main part. The iBusiness Times was able to get an exclusive interview, with Mr Hendy Setiono himself!!! We asked him about various things ranging from the humble beginnings, to the international growth. So here it is!!! The iBusiness Times' first official interview, with such an amazing man!

1. How did you enter the business?

"The story begun While I was visiting my father, an employee of an oil company in Doha, Qatar, I fell in love with the ubiquitous kebab and was amazed at its popularity. Immediately upon returning to Indonesia, I borrowed US$ 400 from my sister and built my first kebab push-cart in Surabaya. I modified the taste for the Indonesian palette, using beef or chicken instead of lamb and swapping in more familiar Indonesian spices. Open for one week, the lines were so long that another three stands were built within the year. From 2003-2006, I worked to slowly build a brand, opening new carts, stands and storefronts while employing offline and online media techniques to spread the Baba Rafi name. Eager for faster growth, I decided in 2006 to introduce a franchise model. To attract potential franchise investors, the Baba Rafi team participated in company exhibitions, industry fairs and public events - promoting both a “can’t miss” business opportunity and a growing brand. Fifty cities later, and with 1000 plus links in the Baba Rafi chain, it is safe to say Indonesians have enthusiastically embraced the kebab."

2. How did Baba Rafi enterprises start out and then how did it grow?

"We do the development organically. We learn everything about business along the way. We found out that developing business like this has its positive and negative sides but we don’t want to focus on the negative sides instead we keep looking on the positive sides and maintain our targets. So with these attitudes, it brings us here to this point and we don’t settle yet, we still have a lot to learn and to achieve and we are still a young company and our team also in average are young people so we believe that we can reach higher."

3. What are your long term targets for the future? How many outlets do you wish to grow to? 

A: Currently, we are still focusing on Baba Rafi expansion, locally and internationally. Right now, we are preparing to enter the European market. First, we are going to do feasibility study in Amsterdam since we are planning to open the first European outlet there. After that, we have a plan to open several outlets across Europe and Asia such as Vietnam, China and Srilanka. We are also getting some enquiry from other countries as well and we are still analyzing the enquiry before we go further.

4. Are you going to open more businesses under Baba Rafi enterprises in the near future?

"Plan ahead is I want to make Babarafi Enterprise  “Becoming a Fast Growing Company in Asia Region Holding”. I want to see that KTBR would get huge appreciation in Asia and International market through additional outlets in these countries. Our Go International programme is already started with Malaysia and Philippines, right now we are preparing to open several outlets in Amsterdam, Vietnam, China and Sri Lanka. And of course we will still maintain national market share and improve the quality of our human resources."

5. What advice would you give to all the young and budding entrepreneurs who wish to enter the business world?

"One Important advice I would share to other entrepreneurs  out there is that faith to get success is something that we must cultivate deeply before we start anything. Given this, optimism and creativity will be easily stimulated, and this will bring our business successful."

An influential man, gives some expert advice. Amazing. Now, Baba Rafi Enterprises is the group that started the Indonesian interest in Middle Eastern cuisine as such. Yes, there have been other small business and stalls, but Mr Setiono was simply divine. Interpreting Indonesian flavours, into a Middle Eastern dish, and then putting it global. As said, there are plans for expansions, that have either been executed, or are in the process of being executed, and will no doubt be a success! I strongly encourage any readers to go for Baba Rafi in any situation if it is available. The food is fantastic, and the precise reason why Baba Rafi is so successful. It's custom dishes such as the Kebab Unyu and Piscock are fantastic, and shoots wonderful tastes onto a dish that has been going for centuries! Should I say "Kebab Turki Baba Rafi-izing" the dish, will only make it better!

A business with huge growth, and already the largest Kebab chain in the world is among us.

I would like to close by saying congratulations to Mr Hendy Setiono and the Baba Rafi team, and good luck!

Mr Hendy Setiono (CEO and Founder of Kebab Turki Baba Rafi, as well as President Director of Baba Rafi Enterprises) winning the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2009. Congratulations, sir!

One of thousands of Kebab Turki Baba Rafi restaurants! It's Brilliant!

Source(s):
Mr Hendy Setiono himself!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebab_Turki_Baba_Rafi
http://babarafi.com/new/