Several months ago, when I was starting a small cafe business around Borobudur, there was one problem that came up quite often: looking for a complete supplier of ingredients at an affordable price. I went back and forth to traditional markets, large supermarkets, even to the city of Magelang just to look for several specific items for cafe needs. Until finally, a friend who also has a culinary business here recommended, “Just try TSB, in Karangrejo. It’s complete, and the prices are competitive.”
The full name is Toko Grocery Borobudur, but is better known by the abbreviation TSB. The location is in Karangrejo, Borobudur, Magelang. At first I was a little doubtful because from the outside it looked like an ordinary grocery store. But once inside, wow… it turns out this isn’t just your ordinary basic food items.
Strategic location and friendly atmosphere
TSB is located on Jalan Karangrejo, an area that is quite easy to access both from the direction Borobudur and from the main road towards Magelang. The parking lot is quite large, enough for several motorbikes and cars. The first thing I noticed was the neatness of this shop. Unlike some other grocery stores which are usually a bit messy, TSB is neatly arranged with wide aisles.
The owner and staff are friendly. When I first arrived, they patiently explained the layout of the store and offered to help me if I had trouble finding something. “This is the regular grocery section, next to it are ingredients for the cafe, then behind it there are bakery ingredients,” explained one of the staff, pointing to various areas of the shop.
Groceries at Friendly Prices
As a small business owner, price is of course a major consideration. I was quite surprised when comparing the prices of some basic grocery items at TSB with other places. Rice, cooking oil, sugar, flour – prices are indeed more competitive. According to the staff’s explanation, because they focus on business actors, their purchasing volume is large so they can get better prices from distributors.
What I appreciate is price transparency. All items have clear price tags, so there is no need to ask questions or worry about price differences between one customer and another. For customers who buy in large quantities, there are usually additional discounts that can be negotiated directly.
Heaven for Coffee and Drink Lovers
This is the part that excites me the most. As a cafe that serves various variants of coffee and drinks, I often have difficulty finding a complete supplier for these needs. TSB has a special section for coffee and flavored syrups which is quite complete.
For coffee, they provide various types of local coffee beans from areas around Magelang and Temanggung. Starting from Arabica to Robusta, with various roast levels. They also sell ready-to-brew ground coffee for those who don’t want the hassle of grinding their own. What’s interesting is that they have a stock of original Luwak coffee from local farmers, although the price is of course more premium.
The flavored syrup section is also impressive. Not only regular flavored syrups such as vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, but also unique flavors such as matcha, taro, red velvet, even special syrup for boba tea. The quality of the syrup is good, not too sweet and the fruit taste is quite natural. I usually buy several bottles at once because it’s more economical.
Complete Bakery Raw Materials
I don’t own a bakery myself, but several friends who have bread and cake businesses often complain about the difficulty of finding specific ingredients in Borobudur. Apparently, TSB also answered this need. At the back of the shop, there are special shelves for bakery raw materials.
They provide various types of flour (high, medium, low protein wheat, bread flour, cake flour), instant and active yeast, baking powder and soda, various types of chocolate (compound, couverture, powder), jams and fillings, and decoration materials such as sprinkles, pearl sugar and edible glitter. They even sell basic baking tools such as baking pans, spatulas, and piping bags.
One of my baker friends said, “Before I knew about TSB, I had to order from Jakarta or Surabaya for certain specific ingredients. Now I just go to Karangrejo, it saves on shipping and time.”
Ease of Ordering Online
In today’s digital era, the convenience of online shopping is an important added value. TSB understands this and provides an order service via WhatsApp on 087765204529. I have tried this service several times, especially when I was busy at the cafe and didn’t have time to come in person.
The process is simple: send a list of items needed via WhatsApp, they will confirm availability and total price, then we can choose to deliver directly or pick it up ourselves. For large orders, they usually provide free delivery within a certain radius.
What I like about their online service is its responsiveness. Usually within 10-15 minutes there is a reply, even outside working hours. They also often update stock via WhatsApp story, so we can know what new items have arrived.
Tips for Shopping at TSB from Personal Experience
After several months of being a regular customer, there are several tips that might be useful for those of you who are shopping at TSB for the first time:
- Come in the morning if you want the most complete choice, especially for fresh ingredients such as eggs and some dairy products.
- Ask about new products – they often get new items that may not have been on display yet.
- For large orders, it’s better to call or WhatsApp the day before so they can prepare well.
- Don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations – the staff is quite knowledgeable about their products.
- Check monthly promos – they often have promotions for certain products.
More Than Just a Grocery Store
After several months of shopping at TSB, I realized that this place is not just an ordinary grocery store. This is more like a partner for culinary business actors in Borobudur and surrounding areas. They not only sell goods, but also understand the specific needs of food and beverage businesses.
Several times I consulted about certain problems in cafes, for example coffee that didn’t have enough crema or the texture of the cake wasn’t right, TSB staff were able to provide advice based on their experience serving many similar businesses. They even held a mini workshop on basic coffee making for their loyal customers.
In closing, if you have a cafe, bakery business, or just like cooking and need complete ingredients at competitive prices, TSB in Karangrejo Borobudur is worth trying. The location is easy to access, the products are complete, the prices are competitive, and the service is friendly. To order online, you can directly call 087765204529. I myself rarely go back and forth to Magelang now just to shop for cafe ingredients – almost all my needs can be met at TSB.
Oh yes, if you try to shop there and meet me choosing coffee beans, don’t hesitate to say hello! Who knows, we might be able to share experiences about culinary business at Borobudur.