A friend gave her the initial N3,500 to launch the business in 2017. With sheer determination to succeed, her cooler and legs to hawk the meals, Ofada Continental Restaurant was born.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
At some point, residents of Ijapo Estate in Akure, Ondo State found it difficult to access quality homemade food within the neighbourhood. But along the line, Oladunke Olamide Eni-olotu, a resident decided to fill the gap, despite not having enough money.
A friend gave her the initial N3,500 to launch the business in 2017. With sheer determination to succeed, her cooler and two legs to hawk the meals, Ofada Continental Restaurant was born.
In the beginning
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Oladunke, a graduate of Business Administration from Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin, started cooking from her kitchen to sell to friends and neighbours.
She would hawk her Ofada Rice and Moi Moi within the Estate, offices, and any place where potential customers could be found.
“I was hawking food from office to office. I doubt if there is any bank staff in Alagbaka axis of Akure that does not know me with my coolers of moi-moi, Ofada rice and sauce,” she told our correspondent.
“It was tough trying to grow a business such as a food business from my kitchen. There were days I got beaten by the rain, jumping on bikes and fetching firewood because we couldn’t afford cooking gas,” she recalled.
Enter Ofada Continental Restaurant
From a little beginning, Ofada Continental Restaurant is now a sprawling business that employs dozens of workers in Akure. To satiate the taste of its clients, the restaurant currently has sections for local dishes and drinks, and mainstream foods. It also has a section for snooker, table tennis and Ayo games.
Ofada Rice is a local cuisine popular in the South West, mostly served with moi moi. Ofada rice is a meal for special occasions. It is valued for its unique flavour, texture and nutritional value. Oladunke recounts that the saying; when there is a will, there is a way was the secret that kept her going all through her challenges.
“Start small but think big was also my motto. I started small by hawking but I didn’t remain small. I had God, commitment to seeing that this vision never dies, passion for growth and excellence, premium quality service to customers because that is the hallmark of the business.”
She added: “Customer satisfaction, always willing to learn new skills kept us in business till date. And for the past seven years, we have been solving the hunger problem in the city of Akure, with Ofada Continental Restaurant and Event Catering services.”
She disclosed that the support and patronage she got from her friends, family and well-wishers when she started her business geared her to push further.
“I strongly believe that once you can build the trust component of your close circle, it is easier to build and expand thereafter. My close relations were my first set of customers. Also, I am convinced that we gave them value for their money, hence the multiple referrals thereafter. We are not there yet, but we are far from where we started, to the Glory of God,” she said.
Abuja folks want Ofada too
Oladunke’s Ofada business recently took her to Abuja to cater for 400 guests. She recalled the background discussion to TheNiche. “Last year an honourable called me to come and take care of 400 guests in Abuja for his son’s naming ceremony. When he said that, I said to myself; of all the chefs in Abuja, this man chose me in Akure.
“When I told him that I may not be able to travel by road from Akure to Abuja because it is far, immediately, his wife booked Air Peace return ticket for me. And I was like this is a business I started with just N3,500. God is faithful.”
For the past seven years, Ofada Continental has catered for various events in and outside Ondo state. It has also got referrals within and outside Nigeria, to manage events for government and private individuals. “The growth has been phenomenal. We have lost count of many breakthroughs we have had to the Glory of God,” Oladunke said.
Doing business in Nigeria
Oladunke lamented that food business owners in Nigeria are faced with the challenges of inadequate power supply, inflation, and a lack of incentives from the government.
She said to create a cozy ambience for customers and offer them an unforgettable experience, the power supply plays a critical role.
“However, power supply is relatively poor in Akure, and due to this, we have to rely on generators, a practice that is now more challenging with the recent hike in fuel prices,” she lamented.
She said the high rate of inflation which has tripled the prices of essential commodities led her to increase some prices by a small amount but some customers are still struggling to keep up.
“To keep our esteemed customers at this trying time has not been easy on us because we have to pacify some of our customers to bear with us,” she said.
She lamented that the government, at the state and federal levels, is not creating a means of business support packages for thriving SMEs and MSMEs. “If they do, it will go a long way to motivate and boost our capacity the more,” she said.
On the Japa issue
Oladunke said migrating abroad otherwise known as Japa by some business people is a matter of choices, adding that she is not bothered by the idea.
“Just do what works for you. For me, whenever I have the chance, I maximise my vacation both within and outside Nigeria. Travelling is basically about choice,” she said.
Oladunke said Ofada Continental is here to stay in Nigeria and beyond. “We shall extend our brand very soon. The food business is not restricted to one location. We all eat irrespective of colour, race, location or continent. So, I am in hot demand across the globe,” she enthused.
