How To Start a Lucrative Food Business In Nigeria And African Countries (Modern Food Restaurant)
Food business is arguably one of the most lucrative business anyone can go into in Nigeria or any other African country. Let me show you how you can make real money from this business with a little touch of excellence here and there.
With Nigeria’s population estimated to be over 180 million and Africa one of the most populated continent on the planet, food is certainly something that is needed every single day.
On the average, a normal (healthy) human being eats at least three (3) times a day. Though some people eat as much as five (5) times daily.
Apart from this, most people eat at least two (2) different types of meals everyday. Meaning that what they ate in the morning isn’t what they will eat in the afternoon as lunch or in the night.
These and many more reasons should make you to seriously consider starting up a modern food business in Nigeria or any part of the African soil.
Now before I go further, let me say clearly that anybody can start this business. Regardless of your gender. But not everybody who started this business can make real money from it.
Just like every other business, there are principles of success (food business strategies) you must follow or employ in order to rise above the competition that exists in this line of business.
These food business strategies or principles are what I will be sharing with you throughout this post. Don’t freak out. They are going to be so simple that you will need someone’s help to miss it (Lol).
So let’s get to work. What are these food business secrets you must know before venturing into it.
I am going to list about seven (7) of them.
TOP 7 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE STARTING A FOOD BUSINESS IN NIGERIA OR ANYWHERE IN AFRICA
Like I said earlier on, this is going to be so simple you’d need someone’s help to miss it.
1. Location Matters
Location plays a very important role in the success of any business. Food business inclusive. Although you can start a food business anywhere, some locations tends to do better than others.
For instance, positioning your food business in an area where there are a few numbers of factories, schools, workshops and markets, will yield much fruit than areas where none of these things exists.
Restaurant does very well in areas with a good number of population. This is why Mr.Biggs, Chicken Republic, Extra Delight and some other top restaurants do not situate their food business anywhere available. They always seek for areas that are highly populated.
Does this mean you can’t start yours anywhere? No! But to get the best result from this business, you have to plan your target location.
2. Customer Relationship Counts
Have you ever had a meal in a place where you are poorly treated by the workers there? I can guarantee you never went back to that place regardless of how good their meals were.
Everyone loves to visit places where the workers there are very polite and friendly, always wearing a smile on their faces.
A well served customer has a 90 percent chance of returning to eat at your restaurant for those in the food business.
Ensure you put up the best customer service for whosoever that enters your restaurant. Train your workers or partners to do the same as well.
3. Cleanliness Of The Environment Is Very Important
It doesn’t matter how good your meals are. It also doesn’t matter how good you are at customer service. There are people who will not patronize you once your food business environment is not up to taste.
Nobody likes eating in an environment that is dirty, with flies perching everywhere. Such an environment is an eyesore.
Apart from being an eyesore to customers, if your environment is dirty, you will always fall victim to numerous fines from government sanitation agents.
How neat your business environment is an indication that you are very serious and health conscious. Check modern restaurants around, they have workers whose sole role in the business is to keep the environment neat and tidy.
Do not place your food business in an environment with a lot of muddy water, refuse dump or smoke. It’s a heavy turn off.
4. Food Varieties Matters
In Africa, especially Nigeria, the traditional food that is found almost in every local restaurant is “Fufu” also called “Akpu” and popular “Egusi” soup.
Fufu is a type of African meal that is made from Cassava flour mostly after it has been soaked in water for some hours or days. Egusi soup on it’s own is made from ground melon seeds.
These two are a perfect combination and among the top 5 meals that are in high demand in Nigerian restaurants.
However, if you must make good money from this food business, you must learn to include other varieties of food in your business plan.
Learn modern ways of preparing different varieties of food. It will make people patronize you the more.
5. Time Consciousness
Time consciousness here simply means paying attention to what people usually will like to eat at different times.
For instance, there are foods that sell better in the morning, afternoon and night. Here in Nigeria, people usually go for lighter foods like Bread and Tea, Rice, etc in the morning and heavier ones later in the day.
Knowing this will help you avoid unnecessary wastages and loss.
6. Employ Other Hands
Though you can start and do well alone in food business, you will do much better with 2 or more hands working with you.
I always recommend two for a start. You just cannot be able to handle everything by yourself as the demands from people will normally increase with time.
Starting with at least two workers will help you meet the demands of people perfectly.
7. Branding & Packaging
Have you seen the way modern restaurants brand and package their products? With a little touch of excellence, an ordinary plate of food can be sold very high.
Branding and packaging is very important in food business. It helps make your business to be a standout among so many others.
WHERE TO GET AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AT VERY AFFORDABLE RATES
As a beginner in the food business, you don’t want to spend money unnecessarily buying agricultural products at very high prices.
Learning about the best places to get these products at very affordable prices will help you avoid unnecessary expenses and also make a lot of profit from your food business.
In Nigeria for instance, Benue state remains the number one place to get agricultural products at very affordable prices. However, there are other places as well. Do your research well.
When you cannot travel far to get these things, you can get them from wholesalers or even retailers who do at good rates.
That way, at the end of the day, you will have a really good amount of money to boast of.
In Conclusion
Food business in Nigeria and other African countries is highly competitive. Almost everywhere you turn, you will find one or two people doing the business.
However, there is still room for more people in the business regardless of all the people already doing it.
Do not get discouraged by the numbers of people already in it. The demands of the population of Nigeria and Africa as a whole cannot be met by the current numbers of people doing the business.
Instead of backing down, plan on how to get ahead of the competition. Think of how you can make a difference in the business by following the success tips I have explained all over this post.
Food business is very rewarding and can help you make a whole lot of money within a very short time. Investing your money in it is certainly a good idea.
And the best thing is, anybody can start and do well in this business. Regardless of your gender.
Thanks for reading!
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