In 2019, Cahyadi and Christian finally took a leap of faith. They both quit their full-time jobs, invested their life savings, and committed to opening a restaurant together. Determined to define a clear concept and direction before fully going all in, they rented an apartment in South Jakarta and transformed the living room to accommodate a communal table for 12. They began hosting private dinners each night, initially inviting friends to dine. Before long, word spread among Jakarta’s food enthusiasts, critics, and media.

“The apartment kitchen became our laboratory to test out different menus. The setting was intimate enough that we could get honest feedback, while building a relationship with our guests. If we decided to open a restaurant straightaway, I don’t think we would have been able to build that solid relationship with our clientele,” Christian said.

The customer base they built around the communal table turned into regular patrons when they finally opened August the restaurant in 2021. Tucked inside Sequis Tower in SCBD, one of the most expensive addresses in Jakarta, August is a 50-seater space designed by Bitte Studio, a Jakarta-based firm with an impressive portfolio in F&B.

The open space is loosely divided into sections – the main dining area, the lounge, the chef’s counter, and the chef’s table. The 40-person team works efficiently throughout the area, making sure guests feel attended to without being intimidated. On any night, you will see Cahyadi moving between tables, introducing himself to new guests and catching up with returning patrons. Christian, naturally, spends most of his time doing quality control in the open kitchen – adjacent to the chef’s table.