"This place will become a hangout spot along the sidewalk from Jalan Sudirman to Jalan MH Thamrin," Basuki said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama inaugurated the "JakBistro" cafe at City Hall, owned by the Jakarta Tourisindo, a regional enterprise.

"This place will become a hangout spot along the sidewalk from Jalan Sudirman to Jalan MH Thamrin," Basuki said at City Hall, here on Monday.

According to him, the sidewalks along the main streets will be widened, making it possible to set up small cafes that residents can step into.

"In addition to widening the sidewalk, we are also putting in place plans so that buildings in the region do not have fencing and it becomes possible to use the pavement as a hangout place," commented Basuki.

Many countries, such as the Netherlands, Singapore and other countries in Europe, have already adopted the concept of sidewalk cafes.

"In Europe, many small cafes operate from the sidewalk. We wanted to replicate that model and hence, the pavement was made very wide. Now it is possible to build a small cafe that can be a place to spend some good time," Basuki underlined.

He revealed that the sidewalk from Jalan Sudirman to Jl MH Thamrin will be widened along a stretch of 7.7 kilometers. The buildings along that road will be asked to dismantle the fence and enable widening of the pavement, which will be about 9 to 10 meters wide.

The first "JakBistro" cafe is located in Jakarta City Hall breezeway. The restaurant built over an area of just about 5 square meters has a few tables and chairs for visitors. The cafe opens every day at 08.00 pm.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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