The public may be familiar with Martabak Kota Barat, or Markobar, as the first business owned by Gibran, the eldest son of President, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. However, Gibran began his adventures in the food industry through Chilli Pari Catering, established in 2010.
Gibran, who is an alumni of the Management Development Institute of Singapore, people would most likely use the catering’s service after they booked Graha Saba Buana, his parents’ property, for wedding celebrations. “The primary reason why I created a catering company was because my parents owned a meeting hall but not a catering company. When people marry, their biggest cost is in food or catering," he said.
In 2015, Gibran used the money he had gained from Chilli Pari and bought some shares in Markobar, a local pancake business founded by Arif Setyobudi’s parents back in 1996. After Arif took over the business in 2014, Markobar started appearing on social media. After Gibran joined the business, he contributed to the business’ renewal in packaging and digital marketing.