In the heart of Darwin, a small but vibrant Indonesian restaurant continues to bring authentic flavors and cultural warmth to the Northern Territory. Recently taken over by new owners, Ayuriz Cafe has quickly become a favorite for both Indonesians missing the taste of home and locals discovering the richness of Indonesian cuisine.

In this interview, the owner of Ayuriz Cafe shares her journey — from taking over the business to embracing new technology, staying true to tradition, and offering advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Why, how, and when did you start your business?

We started the business in April, taking it over from the previous owner. The restaurant is located in the Northern Territory of Australia, and it’s an Indonesian restaurant — one of only three in Darwin. When the previous owners decided to retire, my husband and I wanted to continue their work, not only because we love Indonesian food but also because we wanted to keep Indonesian cuisine available for the community here.

Many Indonesians in Darwin look for authentic food from home, and this place already had a loyal customer base. What makes it unique is that we only serve halal food, which gives us a very specific and dedicated market.

After running the business for a while, we noticed that our customers are not only Indonesians — about half of them are actually locals or people from other backgrounds who simply enjoy our food.

What motivates you to continue the business?

Our motivation is simple: we want Indonesian food to remain established here in Darwin. We also have some dishes that make us stand out — like our fried chicken, which the other Indonesian restaurants in the city don’t serve. Some of our menu items can only be found here, and that’s something we’re proud of.

How did you discover Loyverse?

It was actually my husband who found Loyverse. He was looking for a free POS system because, when we took over the business, our capital was limited. We needed something simple and affordable to start with, and Loyverse fit perfectly. Our kitchen isn’t very large or complex, so we didn’t need a complicated system.

We started using Loyverse on an iPad, and overall it has worked very well — except for a recent issue with the printer, which I wanted to ask about during this meeting. Other than that, I find it very easy to use. Adding or changing items, editing text — everything is simple and straightforward.

What features do you use the most?

I mainly use the basic Loyverse POS app. I don’t use the customer display, kitchen display, or dashboard features. Mostly, I use it for making sales. I do check the reports when I close my shift, but I don’t look into them deeply on a regular basis.

Could you tell me about the issue you had with the printer?

At first, our printer wasn’t on the list of officially supported printers in Loyverse, but it still worked fine for a while. About two weeks ago, it suddenly stopped printing order dockets. The test print worked perfectly, but when I tried to print an actual order, nothing came out — and a message popped up saying, “Oops, something went wrong with the server.”

Later, I realized the issue was that the “Kitchen Printer Group” option had been turned off. Once I turned it back on, everything worked again. Someone must have accidentally switched it off.

What advice would you give to people who want to start a small business?

If you’re starting a business from zero, make sure you prepare everything carefully. In my case, even though I took over an existing business, I was still shocked at how challenging it was in the beginning. I had no experience running a restaurant before, so it was a learning curve — both mentally and physically.

If you’re taking over a business, take time to observe, learn, and train yourself first. In a small city like Darwin, you have to be ready to take risks if you want to grow.

Despite the challenges, I believe that having your own business is still better than working for someone else. It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding.

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