Warung

A warung (old spelling: waroeng or warong) is a type of small family-owned business — small retail, eatery, or café — in Indonesia.^[1] A warung is an essential part of daily life in Indonesia. Over time, the term warung has shifted somewhat — especially among foreign visitors, expatriates, and people abroad — to refer more specifically to a modest Indonesian eatery or a place that sells Indonesian retail items (mostly groceries or foodstuff).^[2] But for the majority of Indonesians, it still refers to a small, neighborhood convenience shop, often a front room or booth in a family's home.

There are tourist-serving establishments on the island of Bali and elsewhere that attach the term warung to their business to indicate their Indonesian nature.^[3] Traditionally, warung is indeed a family-owned business, run by the family members, mostly by women.^[4]

Traditional warungs are made from wood, bamboo, or woven thatch. More permanent warungs are stalls made from bricks and concrete, which are often family-owned businesses attached to their homes. Some smaller portable warungs are made from tin, zinc, or molded fiberglass in some modern versions. Warung tenda is a portable tent-based warung, covered with canvas, fabric, tarp, or plastic sheet tent for roofing.