Jamban Cafe, which is located in Semarang on the island of Java serves food out of a toilet bowls.
The restaurant’s owner named Budi Laksono, 52, is a public health expert and a local government worker, hosts discussions with the diners and shows them videos to encourage them to use latrines to relieve themselves.
“This cafe serves as a reminder that many people in Indonesia still do not have toilets,” said Laksono.
To them it isn’t a gimmick, but the cafe aims to teach people about toilet use and proper sanitation.
“I was disgusted at first, but I eventually ate some of the food out of curiosity,” one customer said, AFP reports.
“I think the idea is pretty interesting because if you try to have a campaign without a gimmick like this, the information won’t stick.” the customer added.
The cafe, whose name ‘Jamban’ means toilet in Indonesian, has been open since April and currently only welcomes small groups who reserved seats ahead.
Millions of Indonesians live below the poverty line and it has the world’s highest rates of open defecation — defecating outside and not in a designated toilet, which a practice blamed for spreading many diseases.
Laksono, however admitted that his unusual approach had sparked some controversy in the muslim-majority country.
“Many critics say the cafe is inappropriate and against Islamic law,” he said.
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