Learn 5 Secrets of Business Succes "Durian Ucok" While You Traveling in Medan (North Sumatera)

You guys Traveler who wanna visit the city of Medan (North Sumatra), have you ever heard the name of "Durian Ucok Medan"? If you are a culinary traveling enthusiast, it is not complete to visit Medan and a famous Lake Toba if you have not visited this culinary place. This culinary name or brand has long been known and legend among the lovers of durian or culinary traveler throughout Indonesia. North Sumatra is one of the best durian producers in Indonesia, with its producing cities such as Sibolga, Pematang Siantar and Sidikalang.

Well, durian from the city of Sidikalang this sounds most delicious taste of fruit according to some sources. The durian fruit is supplied to various regions throughout the archipelago and even South East Asia. One of the biggest supply, especially to the city of Medan which has known as a durian culinary tourism city with its famous culinary icon called "Durian Ucok Medan" on Jl. Wahid Hasyim (not far from junction Jl.Gajah Mada, Medan).

Especially after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2014 and President Joko Widodo in the Year 2017 who have opportunity to visit this culinary tourism stalls. President Jokowi and his family visited this durian shop during his visit to the city of Medan, North Sumatra at the wedding of his daughter Kahiyang Ayu and Bobby Nasution in Saturday, November 25, 2017. Soon as, its growing the name of "Durian Ucok Medan" throughout the archipelago as the best culinary tourism destination in the city of Medan.

The History of "Durian Ucok Medan"

​This culinary business was founded by Zainal Abidin Chaniago or familiarly called by Ucok. He has been familiar with durian since 34 years ago with a lot of helping the farmers, collectors and sellers durian in the area of ​​North Sumatra since the 1980s, precisely along Jl.Iskandar Muda, Medan.

Then ventured to open his own business about 25 years ago with the ups and downs of the bottoms to achieve success as it is now; has a vast business premises, large and famous to all over Indonesia and even some ASEAN countries. But the process, really a long period of time is not it? This proves that successful business is managed with great diligence and an ingrained passion.

Currently the average Durian Ucok Medan is able to sell at least 1000 to 3000 durian per day amid the supply reaches 6000 durian per day. The tagline of the business is also unique and interesting, namely "Not to Medan if not stop by Ucok Durian" and proclaim that this culinary business does not open branches anywhere.

Durian is sold in addition to the form of peel and eaten directly on the spot, also in the form of durian pancakes, durian meat, frozen durian, whole fruit durian and durian ice cream. Prices are pegged between Rp.20.000 s.d Rp.50.000 depending on taste and size. There are also such durian packages with prices ranging from Rp.100.000 s.d. Rp.500.000, -.

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Business Success Secrets of "Durian Ucok Medan".
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With an uninterrupted supply of durian every day and with an enormous amount of up to 6000 durian fruit per day, this culinary business is very powerful in terms of continuity and supply. Durian fruit is known to have certain seasons to bear fruit and means to have a pause in the supply void when viewed from its harvest.
Then why this culinary business can be so successful and legendary? What's the secret to becoming a selling business?
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From various sources that we obtain and based on direct observation and see the business process to the place, we can collect some things that become secret so that this business can be so successful and legendary and exemplary and adopted by the businessman or who want to start managing their business.

Here are, the 5 Secrets of Business Success of 
​"Durian Ucok Medan" as a Legend:

1. Hard work and tenacity in trying.
The founder of this effort, Mr. Zainal Abidin Chaniago has long since started his business since he was in junior high school and other friends attended school. Assist the merchant who collects the durian from the farmers in each durian season to open his own durian business. Begin to crawl from the bottom of the pavement class and with hard work, perseverance then continues to have a large store like now.

But the fall also colored his business trip. This first secret sounds cliche, but it is found in every successful entrepreneur around the world, that is Hard Work and Tenacity.

If we trace the secrets that many Chinese tycoons use in pioneering the business, the "bamboo" philosophy and the Sun Tzu war strategy, the Indonesian businessmen have the same talent and have done it for so long, but not many have explored the potential it already has.

Likes Mr.Zainal, from the beginning strengthen its business roots with experts in terms of durian and its distribution and then dominate the market by building extensive relationships and profit a little earlier or human things issues are more important.
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The bamboo philosophy emphasizes on gradually strengthening the business at its roots and towering later in time. The same strategy used in the style of Sun Tzu, which considers business as a battlefield but does not use gun violence in controlling its business but with human strength like establishing relationships and taking a little profit initially to become famous and dominate the market.

2. Mastering Market Characteristics from upstream to downstream.
Mr.Zainal since his young have been around North Sumatra helping big traders collect durian from farmers. He already understands control of which areas and when durian harvest time. The Harvest of durian, takes place around June to November, he said. Beyond that time he was looking for durian to the remote parts of Pekanbaru, Padang and Jambi.

Nowadays, even the suppliers as their own relation that helps Ucok supply durians to their culinary stalls, so Durian Ucok Medan's stall has never been short of supply. Every day people can enjoy the durian there without worrying about supply shortages due to the harvest season. From his experience Durian Ucok Medan is very mastering market characteristics from upstream to downstream.

3. Service beyond Expectations.
Service provided is also very satisfactory in terms of people eat durian fruit, even beyond the expectations of most people and durian traders in general. This has been done by Ucok since his selling durian on the bottom era.

There are two things that become the main point of service beyond this expectation:
First, people can change their chosen durian without taken cost or extra price if the durian that they enjoy is less favorable to customers, such as bitter, rotten or less sweet. This is a guarantee that customers will definitely get satisfaction if you enjoy the durian fruit in the shop Durian Ucok Medan.

Secondly, this Durian Ucok Medan shop is open 24 hours every day and becomes its own attraction so that whenever time people are in Medan city, can enjoy sweet durian every time without fear of the store closed and run out of durian.

4. Maximize Profit with Product Innovation.
Durian Ucok Medan also made innovations to maximize the profit its gained. Innovation has two main points, namely:

First, durian fruit that already opened and not in accordance with the tastes of the customer was, not wasted. The durian fruit is collected and delivered again to the durian food processing entrepreneurs, such as to be made pancakes, ice cream, lempok or other snacks made from durian raw materials. Everything is used and not wasted and can maximize profits.

Second, besides being eaten in place; durian fruit that is sold can be packed in a very tight and neat form so it can be put into the plane. This packaging innovation allows the culinary to be souvenir to all over Indonesia and some even send it to neighboring countries in Asia, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

the durian packages

the frozen durian ready to be proccessed

5. Prioritize His Own Cash Flow Capital rather from Loans to Develope the Business.
As the grow business of Durian Ucok Medan, more and more parties of investors such Banks will be tried to give support. There is little bank loan for business development, but Ucok keeps its own mainstream cash flow as capital to expand business compared to bank loans received.

In other words, the money available or Ucok own capital is much larger than the loan received, so the focus of building a business is maintained by making innovations without much affected by the burden of the loan.

Hopefully if you have plans to visit the famous Lake Toba in North Sumatra, you also have the opportunity to visit Medan city as the capital of North Sumatera which has famous and legendary culinary tour in Indonesia, that is called "Durian Ucok Medan". 

​Happy Trip, Travelers! :)