Bakmi GM

Bakmi GM is an Indonesian restaurant chain operated by PT Griya Miesejati. The business began in 1959 as a small noodle stall on Gajah Mada Street in Jakarta, with five tables, and was originally known as Bakmi Gajah Mada. It was founded by the couple Tjhai Sioe and Loei Kwai Fong and developed around bakmi, an Indonesian style of noodle dish influenced by Chinese-Indonesian culinary traditions. The original restaurant became a long-running Jakarta institution and later provided the basis for a broader chain under the Bakmi GM name. The company opened its second location in Melawai in 1971. Over time it expanded to more than 50 locations, concentrated mainly in Greater Jakarta and West Java. It also established outlets in other Indonesian cities, including Surabaya, where it opened a branch in 2017, and Denpasar, where it opened a branch in 2018. In 2019 the company announced plans to expand into Sumatra. In addition to conventional restaurants, the business has operated food trucks and takeout stalls, allowing the brand to serve customers through formats beyond its traditional dine-in locations. Bakmi remains the core of the menu. The chain also sells mie ayam and other noodle preparations, as well as rice-based meals, chicken dishes, and milk tea beverages. Its best-known dish is Bakmi Spesial GM, which is served with chicken broth and topped with soy sauce chicken, choy sum, and mushrooms. The dish has been described in travel coverage as an iconic product with a strong following. The menu gives the brand a broad casual dining proposition while keeping noodles at the center of its identity. Bakmi GM has also acquired cultural visibility through its original Gajah Mada location. The restaurant has reportedly been visited by several Indonesian presidents, from Sukarno to Joko Widodo. B. J. Habibie was associated with regular lunchtime visits in the 1970s, before he became a government minister, and Megawati Soekarnoputri was also described as a regular customer. These associations helped reinforce the restaurant's status as a recognizable Jakarta food institution. As of 2022, the chain had more than 50 locations and approximately 1,200 employees, and it was reported to serve an estimated 30,000 customers per day in September of that year. In December 2024, the Djarum group acquired an 85 percent stake in the company. Djarum executive Victor Hartono said the controlling family had sought an exit because of their age and the absence of successors. The transaction marked a significant ownership change while leaving Bakmi GM as an active Indonesian restaurant brand with a predominantly domestic footprint.

Bakmi GM traces its origins to a five-table noodle stall established on Gajah Mada Street in Jakarta in 1959 by Tjhai Sioe and Loei Kwai Fong. The business was initially known as Bakmi Gajah Mada, reflecting the location that became central to its identity. Its founding concept was a focused noodle restaurant built around bakmi, an Indonesian noodle dish associated with Chinese-Indonesian culinary traditions. The first major expansion came in 1971, when the business opened a second outlet in Melawai. This step transformed the operation from a single neighborhood establishment into a multi-location restaurant business. The original Gajah Mada restaurant remained important to the brand's reputation. It was reportedly visited by Indonesian presidents from Sukarno through Joko Widodo. B. J. Habibie was known for lunchtime visits during the 1970s, before he entered the cabinet, while Megawati Soekarnoputri was also described as a regular customer. These connections contributed to the restaurant's image as a durable Jakarta institution rather than simply a local noodle shop. Over subsequent decades, the company expanded its restaurant network, principally across Greater Jakarta and West Java. The operating model broadened beyond standard restaurants to include food trucks and takeout stalls. By 2022, the chain had more than 50 locations and approximately 1,200 employees. It was also reported to serve about 30,000 customers daily in September 2022. Although the brand remained concentrated in Indonesia, it pursued geographic growth outside its historic core. It opened in Surabaya in 2017 and Denpasar in 2018, and in 2019 announced an intention to expand into Sumatra. The menu evolved beyond the original noodle focus without abandoning it. Bakmi GM restaurants serve several bakmi and mie ayam dishes, along with rice-based meals, chicken dishes, and milk tea beverages. Bakmi Spesial GM became the signature offering: noodles accompanied by chicken broth and topped with soy sauce chicken, choy sum, and mushrooms. Travel coverage has characterized the dish as iconic and associated it with a strong customer following. This combination of a recognizable signature dish and a wider casual menu supported the chain's expansion across different restaurant formats and markets. A major corporate transition occurred in December 2024, when the Djarum group acquired 85 percent of PT Griya Miesejati. The reported transaction value was between Rp 2 trillion and Rp 2.4 trillion, although the available reference describes this as a reported figure rather than a formally disclosed company financial statement. Victor Hartono, identified as a Djarum executive, explained that the controlling family was seeking an exit because of their age and the absence of successors. The acquisition made Djarum the majority owner while Bakmi GM continued as an active restaurant brand. Its subsequent identity therefore combines a long family-business history, a strong association with Jakarta noodle culture, and ownership by one of Indonesia's major business groups.

• 2024

  Djarum becomes majority owner

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  Djarum acquires 85 percent of PT Griya Miesejati, the company behind Bakmi GM.

• 2022

  Chain exceeds 50 locations

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  The chain is reported to have more than 50 locations and approximately 1,200 employees, with most outlets in Greater Jakarta and West Java.

• 2019

  Sumatra expansion plans announced

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  The company announces an intention to open locations in Sumatra.

• 2018

  Denpasar expansion

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  Bakmi GM opens a branch in Denpasar, extending its network to Bali.

• 2017

  Surabaya expansion

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  Bakmi GM opens a branch in Surabaya.

• 1971

  Second location opens in Melawai

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  The business expands beyond its original Gajah Mada location with a second outlet in Melawai.

• 1959

  First Bakmi Gajah Mada stall opens

  [1]Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org

  Tjhai Sioe and Loei Kwai Fong establish a five-table noodle stall on Gajah Mada Street in Jakarta, the origin of Bakmi GM.

A long-established Indonesian casual restaurant brand centered on bakmi noodles, combining an iconic Jakarta heritage with a broad multi-format chain presence.

• Signature noodle dish

  Bakmi Spesial GM

  Bakmi Spesial GM is the chain's signature and most widely recognized dish. It combines noodles with chicken broth and is topped with soy sauce chicken, choy sum, and mushrooms. The dish represents the brand's core proposition: a familiar Indonesian noodle meal presented consistently across its restaurant network. Travel coverage has described it as an iconic menu item with a strong following.

• Noodle dish

  Mie ayam

  Mie ayam is among the noodle-based dishes served by Bakmi GM. It is part of the chain's broader bakmi offering and keeps the menu anchored in Indonesian chicken-and-noodle preparations alongside the signature Bakmi Spesial GM.

• Main meals

  Rice and chicken dishes

  In addition to noodles, Bakmi GM restaurants offer rice-based meals and chicken dishes. These items broaden the menu for customers seeking alternatives to bakmi while maintaining the chain's casual restaurant format.

• Beverage

  Milk tea

  Milk tea is among the popular beverages offered by Bakmi GM, complementing the noodle, rice, and chicken menu.

• 2024

  Djarum acquires 85 percent of Bakmi GM operatorM&A

  Background

  Bakmi GM had grown from a single Jakarta noodle stall into a chain of more than 50 locations. The controlling family reportedly sought an exit because of their age and the absence of successors.

  Action taken

  Djarum acquired an 85 percent stake in PT Griya Miesejati, the company operating Bakmi GM, making Djarum the majority owner.

  Aftermath

  Bakmi GM remained an active Indonesian restaurant chain under majority ownership by the Djarum group.

  Reported acquisition value. Rp 2 trillion to Rp 2.4 trillion (December 2024)

  Source

1. 1Bakmi GMen.wikipedia.org