Expat Mixes Love of Indonesia with Authentic American Food Kyle Osborne\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s EntertainmentOrDie.Com

I’ve been in Indonesia for about a year and a half, and when my friends back in the United States ask me what I miss about America, my answer is swift and consistent: the food! That’s what I miss. Fast food, Restaurant food, even frozen dinners and canned chili.

It’s not that my new home doesn’t offer local dishes that find their way to my ever growing stomach, but, you know, it’s just not the same as Western food for my old, Bule taste buds.

So the new restaurant here on the island of Belitung, The Well, feels like an oasis. The fresh baked breads, the quality meats, the large selection of beverages – my family and I recently enjoyed them all. (Photos of some of the menu items are posted below).

It’s a place that reminds me of my former home. Having said that, the owner, Canadian Lynn Fraser, is not interested in having a place that is walled off from Belitung culture. To the contrary, the vision for The Well is to embrace the things that make this island a special place to live. It all comes down to the people here.

I asked Lynn to answer some questions that would help me communicate to you the key points of this cozy, comfortable gathering place.

Q: First, I am curious about the name – can you explain its origin?

A: Firstly, the name came out a time in prayer, when I was asking what this cafe should be called. When I explored further the meaning and implications of the name, this is what I discovered and believe to behind the name.

-Throughout history, a well has been a gathering place, central to a community. We hope to be one such place.

-A well is a source, its water- essential and life giving. Our desire is to also be a source of an essential life giving ingredient; hope.

-A well provides something fresh, pure and satisfying.

We are a cafe with a purpose. The hope that we desire to offer comes in the form of training and opportunity for the people of Belitung, preparing them for the tourism industry that will come.

Q:. How would you describe the ambiance and style of The Well? Is this a place to nurse a coffee and go online, or more of a family out for dinner vibe, or even a romantic date spot?

A: At this time, we are more of a family out for dinner vibe. However, we have plans for more. The second story will transition into a quieter space, with a private meeting/event room, for sipping and working. An English language club is in the works, our community may sip their coffee and improve the language skills that will be vital in the days ahead.

Q: I saw that you were in Bali – was that for training? What did you learn that you’re applying to The Well?

From the inception of the plan to open the cafe, I knew that I couldn’t do it alone. Early in the process, I contracted M&M Food and Beverage Consultants in Bali, together we created the concept & design. M&M is founded by a Michelin Star chef, he and his team provided the menu, recipes and training for our team to deliver unique, locally sourced high quality food and beverages to our customers.

Q: I had the chicken sandwich and my wife had beef bbq – the breads were amazing!! What can you tell me about the bread and any other in-house baked goods?

A: We are thrilled that you enjoyed our in-house baked buns. All of our food is created in house from scratch. Our artisan breads include: sourdough, black rice sourdough, (also sold by pre-order so guaranteed fresh), Ciabatta, Bahn Mi Baguette and Brioche. We also have delicious carrot cake, fudgy brownies, gluten free spiced lime coconut cake, a variety of cookies and amazing fresh daily doughnuts

Q: Can you tell me a bit about your journey from Canada to here? And a bit about your partners? Would you like to talk about your own journey from Canada to here? Are you still planning to incorporate tourism into your work life?

A: My first home in Indonesia was Batam, where I dedicated the first 2 years to language learning. I had been told about the island of Belitung from a friend in Canada, and when I visited the first time in 2016, I was convinced that this would be my long term home.

I loved the island and the people and was eager to gain sufficient language and cultural understanding to be able to build relationships without offending with my Canadian ways.

Friends who own Telunas Resorts in the Batam region also recognized the potential in Belitung and purchased the island of Kalimambang on which to build a resort. It was during a visit with them that I recognized a need in which I felt I could have a positive impact. And so, the idea of building a cafe to provide training in the hospitality industry to the people of Belitung, was birthed.

Next, I recruited teammates. Arya, originally from Bandung, is now a shareholder in the cafe. His wife Katie, born and educated in America, has lived in Indonesia for 13 years and is a director as well. Katie has experience in managing a restaurant and this couple share the vision for The Well & Belitung. Once Katie’s work permit is approved, she will manage the cafe.

There is another aspect of the well that you may find interesting. I am a believer that a successful business should deliver a quadruple bottom-line, in order to be truly successful.

people

planet

profit

purpose

Planet: You will find that many of our products, doughnuts, ice-cream and cookies, are designed to represent the beautiful coral reef that we find surrounding Belitung. Our hope is to bring awareness of the importance of preserving this precious marine creature. In the future, we will offer workshops to families to make the sea creature shaped cookies while learning about their significance.

We aspire to have a positive impact on our physical environment and limit use of plastic and other harmful products.