Cak Wang’s coffee shop is not your typical posh café that is designed for the patrons’ comfort, but it’s located in the corner of Jember University, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. This is where the evenings start to come alive, in this tightly spaced, 4 x 9 meter wide place. Dozens of college students can be seen socializing in a down-to-earth manner, enjoying whatever it is they’re doing at the moment – playing Domino; talk about assignments; discuss about photography techniques (as what photography clubs do) – all are accompanied with a cup of coffee. Cak Wang might be unknown as it is only located in a small city like Jember, in East Java. Nevertheless, although lacking in size, there’s one thing they’re extremely proud of , and that is serving specialty Arabica coffee from all over Indonesia.

Why is it called Cak Wang? There’s no specific reason, except an expectation that it is a catchy name that is publicly well-known in Jember. Opened since October 2010 in one of the canteens at Jember University Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, and located at Jalan Kalimantan, 37, Cak Wang’s mission is simple; it is his wish to introduce affordable Arabica specialty coffee to the public, especially to college students and scholars. Cak Wang doesn’t wish to open a coffee shop in a much more expensive vicinity just like a typical café that provides specialty coffee, because if he did, the coffee prices would be much more expensive.

“I also want to show the public that no matter what kind of business you have, if it is presented with creativity and has something unique to offer, then it will definitely deliver. Back then, people didn’t take coffee shops seriously, but now there are many who want to start one, just like I did.” Tells Rakhmat, the owner of Cak Wang.

When it first began to open, Cak Wang’s coffee selection received quite sceptical views from his patrons, because they were not used to having coffee served in Vietnamese Drips or French Presses. “We used to serve coffee in a mocha pot, but it turned out to be impractical, so we decided to take it out from our menu, for now. But I’d really like to share to the people out there that – hey, you guys, this is how you should enjoy coffee, you know?” And within no time, Cak Wang became a favorite spot for specialty coffee enthusiasts.

“People should know that they can enjoy a decent cup of coffee in an absolutely affordable prices – only Rp. 5000 per serving.” Says Rakhmat who has recently turned 27.

Cak Wang opens every day till midnight, or as Rakhmat says jokingly, “until the patrons are bored” and closes only on Sundays. So if you’re interested to go there, brace yourself to see a small, humble coffee shop that is so packed with college students ordering Wamena coffee in Vietnamese Drips, it’s often hard to find seats that are available. Cak Wang is definitely a delightful surprise during my visit to Jember, and it shows that even a small coffee shop in the right location and the right amount of creativity has its own charm.

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Cak Wang

Warung kopi Cak Wang bukan seperti cafe mewah yang ditata demi kenyamanan pengunjung, tapi di sebuah sudut kampus FISIP, Universitas Jember di sinilah happening terjadi khususnya setiap malam dalam ruang sempit sekitar 4 x 9 meter. Puluhan para mahasiswa membaur dalam suasana bersahaja dan sibuk dengan kegiatan masing-masing. Ada yang main kartu gaple, di meja lain sekelompok orang sedang asyik berdiskusi mengerjakan tugas perkuliahan, nun di sudut yang gelap kelompok fotografi juga asyik berbincang, kesemuanya ditemani secangkir kopi. Cak Wang boleh berada di Jember sebuah kota kecil di Jawa Timur, tapi untuk satu hal ini mereka boleh membanggakan diri sebagai kedai kopi kecil, tapi menyuguhkan kopi spesial arabika dari berbagai daerah di Indonesia.

Mengapana namanya Cak Wang ? Tidak ada alasan khusus kecuali sebuah nama yang diharapkan akan lebih mudah dikenal oleh publik di Jember. Dibuka sejak bulan Oktober 2010 di salah satu kantin FISIP, Universitas Jember yang beralamat di jalan Kalimantan 37. Pendirian Cak Wang hanya didasari atas keinginannya untuk lebih memperkenalkan kopi spesial arabika khususnya di kalangan para pelajar dan mahasiswa dengan harga yang relatif terjangkau. Cak Wang tidak berangan-angan membuka di tempat yang lebih menawarkan kenyamanan sekelas cafe karena akan membuat harga jual lebih mahal.

“Saya juga ingin menunjukan sama masyarakat bahwa apapun usahanya kalau dibungkus dengan kreativitas dan something unique akan membuahkan hasil. Kalau dulu orang memandang sebelah mata sebelah warung kopi, namun sekarang justru banyak yang ingin berinvestasi seperti Cak Wang”

Pada awal dibuka sajian kpi Cak Wang cukup membuat kening berkerut para pengunjungnya yang sebagian besar belum terbiasa dengan beberapa bentuk penyajian kopi seperti Vietnam Drip atau French Press. “Dulu kami menyuguhkan moka pot, namun dirasa belum praktis hingga dihentikan dulu”. Tapi saya ingin mencoba berbagi bahwa ini lho cara lain menikmati kopi dan hanya dalam waktu singkat Cak Wang menjadi lokasi favorit bagi pencari kopi spesial.

“Bahwa secangkir kopi nikmat layak mereka nikmati dengan harga terjangkau yang hanya 5 ribu per saji” kata Rakhmat yang baru menginjak usia ke-27 tahun ini.

Buka setiap hari hingga tengah malam atau dengan bercanda Rakhmat mengatakan sampai tamunya bosan sendiri dan hanya tutup di hari Minggu. Jadi kalau Anda ingin ke sana, saksikan sebuah warung kecil sederhana yang kadang mencari tempat duduk juga susah karena selalu dipenuhi para mahasiswa yang banyak memesan kopi Wamena dengan menggunakan alat Vietnam Drip. Cak Wang adalah sebuah kejutan yang menyenangkan saat saya berkunjung ke Jember dan Cak Wang menunjukan bahwa warung kopi kecil dengan lokasi yang pas dan sedikit sentuhan kreativitas pun bisa berkibar.

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