With the rise of social media, people these days tend to look for instagrammable spots to hang out at. A lot of new places also start to pop up with the promise of being an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for your ‘grams. Honestly, though, what we don’t realise is that there are already numerous older joints that offer retro vibes that can never be replaced with newer, shinier options—like this little A&W.
Since previously I shared some love and photos from our time at Dunkin’—and now I’m back with another American-born food chain—I won’t blame you if you confuse me with someone who supports Corporate America and got paid to talk about these brands. Agung and I just happened to stop by an A&W outlet in South Jakarta while it was practically devoid of people. We thought the interior looked pretty snazzy and would look awesome in photos, so we decided to take some shots. Really, we’re not complicated people—a good lighting and complimenting colours are all we need.
📷 Fujifilm X-T100 with Fujinon Aspherical Superb EBC XC 15-45mm lens
With the rise of social media, people these days tend to look for instagrammable spots to hang out at. A lot of new places also start to pop up with the promise of being an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for your ‘grams. Honestly, though, what we don’t realise is that there are already numerous older joints that offer retro vibes that can never be replaced with newer, shinier options—like this little A&W.
Since previously I shared some love and photos from our time at Dunkin’—and now I’m back with another American-born food chain—I won’t blame you if you confuse me with someone who supports Corporate America and got paid to talk about these brands. Agung and I just happened to stop by an A&W outlet in South Jakarta while it was practically devoid of people. We thought the interior looked pretty snazzy and would look awesome in photos, so we decided to take some shots. Really, we’re not complicated people—a good lighting and complimenting colours are all we need.
Old dress + socks // hand-me-down jacket // photos of me by Agung
An Aesthetics Frozen in Time
Even though their tagline reads “All-American Food,” I honestly have never known A&W as an American brand. I’ve never really heard anyone mention this brand outside of Indonesia—and now even more sparingly. Compared to big names like McDonald’s and KFC, A&W probably stands out less. You can probably tell that pretty easily whenever you drive by an outlet. Whereas its aforementioned competitors are almost packed with customers, A&W restaurants tend to be emptier. However, lately the chain restaurant has garnered a different reputation of its own among Indonesians—especially on Twitter.
Old dress + socks // hand-me-down jacket // photos of me by Agung
An Aesthetics Frozen in Time
Even though their tagline reads “All-American Food,” I honestly have never known A&W as an American brand. I’ve never really heard anyone mention this brand outside of Indonesia—and now even more sparingly. Compared to big names like McDonald’s and KFC, A&W probably stands out less. You can probably tell that pretty easily whenever you drive by an outlet. Whereas its aforementioned competitors are almost packed with customers, A&W restaurants tend to be emptier. However, lately the chain restaurant has garnered a different reputation of its own among Indonesians—especially on Twitter.
In recent years, A&W restaurants gained popularity thanks to their interior that tends to stick to its diner-inspired retro look from the ’50s—well, the restaurant did start out as a diner, after all. Although the newer outlets have adapted a more modern look, they still keep some of the vintage touches from the original look—which is more than can be said for their competitors.
Much like their mostly unchanged interior, their menu has also more or less remained the same all these decades. Sure, there are new menus now and then, but they mostly never stay on. People still go to A&W today, hoping to find the same signature menu they’ve been buying for 10 years: root beer float, waffles, half-and-half soft-serve ice cream.
For me, personally, the highlight of their menu resides in their lemon tea—second only to Dunkin’s, which is my number one—and their fried chickens. Their chickens simply have a unique taste that is rare to find elsewhere.
In recent years, A&W restaurants gained popularity thanks to their interior that tends to stick to its diner-inspired retro look from the ’50s—well, the restaurant did start out as a diner, after all. Although the newer outlets have adapted a more modern look, they still keep some of the vintage touches from the original look—which is more than can be said for their competitors.
Much like their mostly unchanged interior, their menu has also more or less remained the same all these decades. Sure, there are new menus now and then, but they mostly never stay on. People still go to A&W today, hoping to find the same signature menu they’ve been buying for 10 years: root beer float, waffles, half-and-half soft-serve ice cream.
For me, personally, the highlight of their menu resides in their lemon tea—second only to Dunkin’s, which is my number one—and their fried chickens. Their chickens simply have a unique taste that is rare to find elsewhere.
In the Middle of Nowhere
I don’t know about you, but for me, diners now just remind me of the feeling of abandonment. In American films, they tend to be found on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. They also often become the backdrop of dystopian films, which is why—upon seeing this empty restaurant, save for us—I feel like I’m in a post-apocalyptic setting, running away from zombies or finding refuge in disasters, hence the lack of emotion on my face and all. Just picture me soaked in blood.
Since this was unplanned, the clothes themselves weren’t put together with the setting or concept in mind—yet somehow they seem to compliment each other. None of the items in this outfit is new. The dress has been mine for a decade now—can you believe it’s been that long?!—while the jacket (or blazer or coat?) was handed down to me from my mother, presumably. I found it in my wardrobe almost a decade ago as well.
It just has such a nice ring to it, doesn’t it, when you’ve worn something for that long?
I don’t know about you, but for me, diners now just remind me of the feeling of abandonment. In American films, they tend to be found on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. They also often become the backdrop of dystopian films, which is why—upon seeing this empty restaurant, save for us—I feel like I’m in a post-apocalyptic setting, running away from zombies or finding refuge in disasters, hence the lack of emotion on my face and all. Just picture me soaked in blood.
Since this was unplanned, the clothes themselves weren’t put together with the setting or concept in mind—yet somehow they seem to compliment each other. None of the items in this outfit is new. The dress has been mine for a decade now—can you believe it’s been that long?!—while the jacket (or blazer or coat?) was handed down to me from my mother, presumably. I found it in my wardrobe almost a decade ago as well.
It just has such a nice ring to it, doesn’t it, when you’ve worn something for that long?
Okay, a little life update—starting with the most recent happening: a few days ago as I was walking to the office, I fell pretty hard on the tarmac and my left knee ended up badly bruised—the skin peeled right off—and my right ankle sprained. That left me pretty bedridden for two days, but now I’m happy to say I’m all better.
Aside from that, life has been pretty up and down lately with the level of overwhelm, so it’s been manageable. I’ve made some decisions for this blog—you may notice that the design has changed somewhat, although still within the same vibe. On Instagram, I’ve also started to dive into reels—or given into it, however you want to see it. There’s a shift that I feel like making here, but we’ll see how it pans out.
Creatively, I want to start drawing more often again. Maybe build a portfolio to open up new opportunities for myself. If there’s something I know concretely about myself, it’s that I’m a person of experiences. My goal in life is to experience as many things as possible.
Okay, a little life update—starting with the most recent happening: a few days ago as I was walking to the office, I fell pretty hard on the tarmac and my left knee ended up badly bruised—the skin peeled right off—and my right ankle sprained. That left me pretty bedridden for two days, but now I’m happy to say I’m all better.
Aside from that, life has been pretty up and down lately with the level of overwhelm, so it’s been manageable. I’ve made some decisions for this blog—you may notice that the design has changed somewhat, although still within the same vibe. On Instagram, I’ve also started to dive into reels—or given into it, however you want to see it. There’s a shift that I feel like making here, but we’ll see how it pans out.
Creatively, I want to start drawing more often again. Maybe build a portfolio to open up new opportunities for myself. If there’s something I know concretely about myself, it’s that I’m a person of experiences. My goal in life is to experience as many things as possible.
What are you reading right now?
What are you reading right now?