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It was a sunny Sunday morning at Jakarta’s Car Free Day in the Senayan area. Just past 8 a.m., the crowd was already much denser than usual. I’d planned for a morning walk, but woke up late and barely got a few thousand steps in before the heat kicked in.
Coffee it is, I told myself.
Around Gelora Bung Karno, Gudda Coffee was buzzing with sweaty runners and cyclists. The small hut, tucked inside the Wisma Serbaguna complex, looked more like a college canteen than a coffee shop: friendly, sweaty, full of life. A small gathering was happening in the parking lot, too.
That’s where I met Marko Kartodirdjo, cofounder of RPC Running Club, a group that often meets at Gudda. RPC stands for Run, Picnic, Cheering. Marko had invited me to join their run that morning, but I declined. There’s no way my Pace 13s could keep up. Coffee sounded much more doable.
"Good coffee and location are just vehicles, the real value is in making people feel like they belong." - PAMBUDI PRASETYO
Within an hour at Gudda, I’d met five new people: The captain of another running club, a runner training for a 100-kilometer race in Rinjani, someone planning a charity run in Flores and a few others with equally compelling stories. This wasn’t just post-run caffeine, it was a social recharge.
“Come next time,” Marko said. “Everyone runs at their own pace. We’re here before and after.”
RPC started in 2021 as an offshoot of Marko’s earlier running group, with a more open, collaborative spirit. What began as a WhatsApp group has grown into a crew of about 50 people who run and hang out together, often at Gudda, their unofficial basecamp.
“We used to hang at the cafeteria next door,” he said.
“But when Gudda opened, it felt like the right fit. We’ve grown alongside each other.”
Community base
Other communities have also gravitated toward Gudda. WIP Crew, another casual running group, relocated there after their old hangout spot emptied out.
“It’s affordable, and other communities gather here too,” said Tieto, 30.
“Plus, the Gudda team supports our events, like our New Year’s run.”
The appeal? Basic comforts, a central location and a welcoming vibe. And behind it all is Pambudi Prasetyo, known as Om Budi to regulars, who’s made human connection Gudda’s mission.
“Good coffee and location are just vehicles,” he said. “The real value is in making people feel like they belong.”
Since opening in 2021, Gudda has drawn not just runners and cyclists, but retro car enthusiasts, Mercedes-Benz clubs and motorcycle groups. Budi has even expanded with Gudda Hub, a fitness studio at FX Mall that mirrors the same community-forward approach, this time with yoga, TRX and pilates alongside coffee.
More than a pit stop
Gudda isn’t the only food and beverage spot leaning into the lifestyle.
Restaurant Gioi hosts monthly runs from its Menteng branch during Car Free Day, while Vilo Gelato offers free scoops at BNI City to anyone who’s completed a 3K run.
But the connection between wellness and coffee seems to run deep, with neighborhood coffee shops functioning like “third spaces”; not quite home, not quite work, but essential spaces where fitness lovers gather, unwind and build community.
Take Kopi Sana near Blok M as another example. Alif, 25, of the tinutinut running club, says his group ends most Sunday runs there.
“It’s not just a coffee shop,” he said. “The routine feels like part of the run itself.”
Kopi Sana began as Sana Studio in 2012, a fitness space in South Jakarta. In 2016, it launched its café arm to serve its growing fitness community. Now with two coffee outlets, the brand hosts Sunday runs, post-office jogs and its flagship Women’s 10K. For those seeking something slower, it offers “Sana Kenal Kota”, a walking tour blending urban storytelling with movement.
“We don’t see ourselves as just a studio or café,” said cofounder Abimantra. “Sana is an active living hub.”
Some people discover Sana through fitness classes and stay for the coffee. Others pop in for caffeine and find themselves pulled into a community.
“It’s not a marketing strategy, it’s simply who we are,” he said.
“Sana is an extension of ourselves. The walking tour? I’m an architect and urban planner who loves sharing stories about buildings. Our Women’s 10K? That’s part of our mission to push for gender equity. And underneath it all, our foundation is human connection.”
Like Budi at Gudda, Abimantra and his team stay present.
“We don’t offer discounts or perks. We treat everyone like family. That connection is priceless.”
Why it works
This isn’t just about health; it’s about belonging.
“Younger people are more health-conscious, but they’re also more trend-driven, like tennis today, maybe padel tomorrow. In RPC, we’re mostly in our 30s to 50s. What keeps us together is the sense of belonging,” Marko said.
Neighborhood coffee shops like Gudda and Kopi Sana fill a gap that a WhatsApp chat group or the car-free stretch of Sudirman on Sundays can’t; a home base to gather, decompress and connect. With no memberships or dress codes, they make it easy to show up before the run, after the ride or even just for the stories shared in between.
Most importantly, they connect people to a supportive community that makes staying active feel less like a solo grind and more like a shared rhythm.
Budi agrees. “People in their 30s to 70s treat Gudda like a basecamp. They enjoy talking, networking and building connections.”
And maybe that’s the heart of it. Whether you’re a Pace 13 like me or an ultramarathon superhero, something about winding down after a run with kindred spirits over iced kopi susu gula aren (palm sugar iced milk coffee) and hot gorengan (fried snacks) just hits right.
For some, it’s about recovery. For others, it’s routine, community or comfort.
Most of the time, it’s all of the above. Because the pace may be personal, but the pause, like coffee, is best shared.
