What inspired you into the restaurant business?
I studied economics in school and four years ago I decided to venture into the business world. I first started a clothing business. It was not really exciting to me. I wanted to do something really challenging. I decided to venture into the restaurant business first of all because of my background. My mum is from Akwa Ibom State where they are known for good food. Then I got married to an Italian and I had the opportunity of learning his own kind of food from his mum.
Another motivating factor was that I wanted to do something that I will be good at ,and even if I run out of staff will be able to go into my kitchen and still cook food and sell. More so, I wanted to empower myself in such a way that I can to extend my hand to the less privileged. In this short while I have been able to sponsor people. I love motherless children.
I also didn’t want to just depend on my husband. I wanted to be there for people. I wanted to be one of those women that people will look up to and say ‘Ah! She did it.’
How do you carve a niche for yourself in this city where there are several restaurants?
I also set out to have a place where people whether rich or poor can afford my meals and feel like they are eating in their own homes. I also came up with activities that spice up their time with us. That is merging pleasure and food by having fun while eating. Like we have karaoke and jazz night among others.
I also try not to serve food that has been cooked for a while but fresh meals. Also we don’t just serve Nigeria foods but international ones for Caucasians and others. All these has made me known in Abuja for my cooking.
What is your advice for women out there who want to go into business but are afraid of the challenges?
I believe the world has come to a stage where it is no longer a man’s world. The problem we used to have before was the lack of support from the men with some of them saying ‘I don’t want my wife to go out’, or ‘I want her to stay at home and take care of the children’. But things have changed.
The good thing now is that men are supportive so my advice to women is that they should rise up for themselves. Nobody knows tomorrow. You may be living a glamourous or comfortable life now but don’t know what will come tomorrow.
Women should rise and develop whatever gifts or talents God has given to them. We know business is not easy but with determination, you will sail through. Others have been successfully doing it and we can too.
I am not just good at the food thing or just into restaurant business. I like to see myself as a bouquet of talents because I am also an interior decorator, and did my restaurant’s interior décor myself in spite of having an architect who could do it for me. I am also planning to launch an interior decoration business soon.
I also work with my husband part time, he is into construction. I am also a director in Moreno Group Plc, a multinational construction company that constructs buildings, roads and bridges.
The truth is that the hospitality business is challenging especially combining it with other businesses but I am working towards managing them all well.
What are the common challenges one encounters in business?
I think the major challenge is managing people whether your staff or clients. Trying to satisfy everybody is the number one challenge as a business person. But people have done it and we can do it as business women.
The world has also gone beyond the level of ‘oh she is a fine woman’ ‘she is educated’ or ‘she is the mother of my children’. Every man wants the x-factor in a woman’s life. Every man wants to see a woman that has something to offer.
So I don’t advise any woman to sit at home and feel she has done it all. Let us all stand up and be part of this developing society.
You have been serving people food through your restaurant, so far how do you assess the feeding attitude of the people of Abuja? Do they eat the right food?
I noticed people and even younger ones now have health issues. So we have people as young as 35 already suffering from diabetes.
There are also people working in Abuja but their family do not live with them and they need to eat. I try to cook customized food tailored towards health or personal tastes. Some people come here and say madam ‘I don’t want salt in my food’ and I prepare it for them so long as they will just give me fifteen minutes to get it ready.
I have noticed that these days people are more health conscious. They want to eat right . Things are changing and people are very conscious about their health and what they eat. A lot of them go for balanced meals. Some people even go as far as asking you what kind of oil you use in cooking your food.
You said you empower motherless babies. Do you have a non- governmental organisation?
I don’t have a non-governmental organisation. But I have a flair for supporting motherless children and have one adopted daughter even though I have my own children. I don’t know if I would want to have an NGO tomorrow but I will still be always there for orphans.
Nigerians shouldn’t relent in helping the less privileged. The fact that you can afford three square meals a day shows that God has given you opportunity to help one less privileged person or the other. You have to extend your hand to those people.
How do you combine all these with the home front?
I have a supporting husband. He is God’s gift to me. People call me sometimes and ask ‘ madam where are you? I keep seeing your husband and the kids in church. Is it that you don’t go to church?’ and I tell them I do but Sundays is the only day I rest. So my husband has been there as a strong man that he is and knows that this is his wife and her dream, and I want her to make it by being supportive. His support has made it easy for me to focus on my business.
Do you have tips for women on balancing the home front and work?
You have to have the right team and structure for your business. You cannot do it alone in your business. When you want to solely do everything, you wouldn’t have time for the home front. You may lose one or two years trying to get the right setup without money but once you get it right, business will flow.
Secondly, you should plan your time. For instance I know that I shouldn’t be in the office after 6 p.m. Maximum 7 p.m. More so, if you have kids, you might not be there for them from Mondays to Fridays but you can consciously say weekends I am going to be at home for my children, and on so and so day I have to go out with my husband.
Work and the home front is not easy because it is twice the stress of being just a stay at home mum but then since you have made up your mind to succeed in life, you have to work twice as hard.
