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James and Marle Towne owners of Bali Marle J ames and Marle Towne are the couple behind Bali Marle, an Indonesian street food concept known for its comfort and spice. COVID-19 has forced the Townes to pivot their business model from street food pop-ups to include packaging pantry staples such as kacang (spicy peanuts) and kwaci (spicy sunflower seeds.) You can purchase all current offerings online at: https:// bali-marle.square.site/. Bali Marle is grateful for the guidance and support provided by Worcester Regional Food Hub, an ever-growing network that aims to connect “farmers, food entrepreneurs, chefs, business leaders, and advocates for local food.”
How has COVID-19 impacted your business? JT: At first, it was two months of nothing.
Do you still use the Worcester Regional Food Hub as your prep kitchen? MT: Yes, everything is produced at the Food Hub.
I hear space is at a premium over there. JT: Oh yeah, it’s a fight for kitchen time. So many people are taking advantage of the Food Hub to get certified, obtain insurance, secure permitting and make food. That sounds like a good problem to have. I’m glad so many people are taking advantage of all they have to offer. Where can we find Bali Marle in the near future? MT: Every Sunday, you can find us at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing from 12-4 p.m., and on August 14, we are bringing our burger to CraftRoots Brewing in Milford from 4:30-7:30 p.m. JT: Both breweries are terrific. – Sarah Connell Sanders
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Are you hoping to expand your retail offerings? JT: That’s the goal.
Everyone seems to be doing a lot more cooking at home, so I think you have the right idea to diversify your business model. JT: Shon Rainford, the director of the Worcester Food Hub, is encouraging us to really move this stuff. MT: We are so grateful for his support. He makes sure we don’t ever give up. JT: We want to make Bali Marle a household name. We are also working on a frozen food product called lumpias for down the road, once we have enough capital. We literally can’t hold on to them. Our lumpias are hugely popular; people want them all the time. As the Food Hub expands, we hope to be able to produce lumpias more regularly. Think of them like tiny spring rolls.
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Where can we buy your snacks? JT: The Food Hub in Worcester, Exhibit ‘A’ in Framingham, The Bagel Table in Ashland, CraftRoots in Milford, and a handful of other places. We have an online store, but shipping is outrageously expensive.
Marle uses Indonesian spices to make unique hamburger seasoning and french fry shakes. They are also great on bacon.
A U G U S T 13 - 19, 2020
Is that what inspired you to begin selling your packaged snacks? JT: That began when I was relaxing and watching a movie at our house. Marle said, “I made us a snack.” MT: The kacang and kwaci are made without sugar. They are sweet from the honey. I started making them for myself because I knew they were good for me. Then, I thought, “These will be good for others too.” JT: I took one bite and said, “Why aren’t we selling this?” We did some trials at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company, selling cups of the peanuts for $5. We gave some to General Manager Kelsey Roth and he came back ten minutes later saying, “I want to carry these all the time.” The wheels started turning. We had to take a twoday workshop and because of COVID, our exam kept getting rescheduled. Finally, we were able to take the test and I’m happy to share we passed it. Now, we have our license and we are looking for local retailers to sell kacang and kwaci.
