Jakarta bar honors 'Little Barry' Obama before visit

Obama Bar, due to open on a popular Jakarta backpacker strip this month, will welcome fans of the man known to locals as “Little Barry”, said manager Prabowo who, like many Indonesians, has only one name.

The White House announced on Monday that Obama would visit Indonesia and Australia in March.

Obama spent four years of his childhood in Jakarta, and is expected to visit his old home in the central city neighborhood of Menteng during his trip.

The house, which Obama lived in while attending school, is now a popular tourist site, and in December, a bronze statue of Obama as a boy was erected in a nearby park.

Prabowo said the owners decided on the name of the establishment on Jalan Jaksa after a group of Obama supporters set up a fan club at another nearby bar, which is currently being renovated.

“If they wanted to meet each other, they said “Let's meet at Obama Bar”. It became common among them,” said Prabowo of the mainly African fans.

Obama Bar is styled as a sports bar: the interior will be decorated with pictures of soccer players, and patrons will be offered a variety of Indonesian, Western and African food.

Prabowo said he expected the U.S. president's visit would bring a rush of visitors to the bar.

Another Jakarta bar owner, Bartele Santema, who tried but failed to transform Obama's old house into a cafe called “Sweet Home Obama”, said he was also excited about the visit.

“I hope he visits one of my bars. If he comes in, that would be great,” said Santema.

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