Riva Cake Owner Vini Inspires Small Business Owners

Vini, the owner of Riva Cake, has shared the challenging path that led to her popular talas-based Sarmut Cake. Despite lacking formal culinary education, she pursued a career in hospitality, working as a housekeeping supervisor after graduating from NHI Bandung in 1994.

Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2010 when she identified a market for burger buns in Sukabumi's pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), producing up to 800 buns daily. This initial success fueled her ambition to expand into a bakery in 2014, using approximately Rp 100 million from her burger business. She rented a shop and established the bakery, but this expansion marked the beginning of a difficult period.

Without adequate business knowledge, Vini's bakery struggled. She realized too late the importance of market research and business strategy, as her products did not resonate with local consumers in Cigombong. Within a year, her capital was depleted. To keep the business afloat, she mortgaged her car, but mounting debts led to its repossession by the leasing company.