Dagbeyon Hunsu, is a testimony in turning passion to enterprise and a success story in food business.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Passion can be talent of a sort. Some trifle with it, fluffing the chances and opportunities that come with it. Some handle it as mere past-time, applying it to momentary purposes. Others harness the potential that it offers and make something out of it.
Freshly-out-of-school Dagbeyon Hunsu, proprietor of Dee’s Kitchen, belongs to the latter. She is a testimony in turning passion to business, which accounts for her success story in food business.
Being a full-time student at Lagos State University, was not a barrier for her innate abilities to blossom. Rather, she managed to balance her studies with business, focusing on home delivery services, while her studentship ran its full course .
Dagbeyon, a fresh graduate of public administration from Lagos State University, did not have the time and patience to wait for an employment that was not readily available. Instead, she started her food and catering business with the financial support she got from her mother who spotted the passion she has for cooking, early enough. Looking back, she has no regrets for the action but full of satisfaction that she made the bold move.
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“Passion inspired the choice of my business. When my mother saw the passion I had for cooking, she offered to give me the capital I needed and I didn’t need so much capital to start up,” she said. That summarizes the genesis of Dee’s Kitchen.
With the take-off capital from her mother, hitting the streets did not present much challenge. Dagbeyon, the Chief executive Officer (CEO) of Dee’s Kitchen, recalls how she started after the lockdown in August 2020 with patronage from her friends and family, enthusing; “It wasn’t much of a struggle”.
Coping with school and food business
Dagbeyon is not one to compromise her future with the gains of the moment. Much as the food business held out good opportunities, her academic career, was given the primary attention it deserved.
Because she was still in school then, she only took orders on her free days, “I prepared for the orders a day before to make things easier. When I had major deliveries to make, I went home. Thankfully, I schooled in the same state I live and it never clashed with a class.,” she said.
Though she sought a way to create a balance between her studies and business, the challenge of getting dispatch riders and also building a structure while in school still surfaced. “It was tough for me but I had to stay strong,” she recalled.
Dagbeyon also faced initial challenges in penetrating the competitive market. However, her unique recipes and dedication to quality helped her gain a loyal customer base.
“To an extent, I was faced with the challenge of penetrating the market because so many people do this same business but the uniqueness in the taste of my meals made it quite easy for me to gain customers. It took me two years to gain a bit of balance and I am still breaking in,” she said.
As her business grew, she encountered new challenges, including maintaining consistency on social media, finding reliable dispatch riders, and adjusting to fluctuating market prices. Despite these obstacles, Dagbeyon persevered, driven by her passion and the support of her customers.
“I remember trying to stay consistent on my social media platforms and also looking for a good device that will properly bring out the beauty in the meals. I almost gave up, but constant referrals and knowing that if I gave up people would move on to another vendor kept me in the business,” she said.
“To be honest, I have the best customers in the world. I barely have negative experiences with them, even with my first-time customers,” she added.
To enhance her skills, she attended Hilda Baci’s cooking class, where she learned new recipes and improved her costing techniques. Today, Dagbeyon’s business has gained visibility, and she boasts of an excellent customer base that appreciates her delicious meals.
“God has helped me achieve a level of visibility with the way people see me, call my brand name and refer to me as well. Also, the level of excellence we have attained, is something to be proud of. My meals taste better than they tasted when I started,” she said.
The Japa response
Dagbeyon believes that she will succeed in Nigeria with her food business as long as she is not lazy. “Regardless of wherever I am, it is God’s will for me to prosper. That I am still here shows that success can and will still be birthed in the name, Dee’s kitchen,” she said.
She has advice to her fellow youths; to identify their talents and utilise them. “Success in any endeavour does not come easy. It requires patience, perseverance and passion to make it. There are usually, initial challenges but with passion and dedication, the target will be met. Nobody makes it by sitting down and wishing for the best. You must dare to conquer”, he remarked.
