Post-COVID Business Sustainability

- By Pa Modou Faal

The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected many businesses for the past twenty-four months, some crumbled while others fought hard to stay in operations. One of the businesses that has persevered during the pandemic is the Braai King Bistro and Grill. Mojatu Magazine visited the proprietor and asked him how he is going on with business. Patrice Musarurwa is the proprietor of Braai King Bistro and Grill, a local restaurant located on the Aspley Lane in Nottingham where Southern and Eastern African food is specially prepared to meet customer demand. Patrice as he is widely known together with two other chefs, prepare the food in a grand African style with locally homemade spices. Giving a description of the name, Patrice said “Braai” means barbeque and as experts in it, the “King” represents their uniqueness. Patrice told Mojatu Magazine that it is a pleasure to be back in full operation which everyone was looking forward to. He said the lockdown was a very difficult moment for him and Braai King as well as other food selling businesses, but he tried other avenues that government was encouraging them to take up. He explained other strategies that government encouraged them to venture in such as take-aways and deliveries through food delivery companies even though it was not easy to meet the requirements for those platforms. He said that they had to adopt to the then new norm that was food delivery through those platforms and some few catering services as well. Identifying the problems they have gone through, Patrice revealed that it was hard for the regular clientele to come support the business because of the strict restrictions. “Everyone was literary struggling, but people love to be at Braai King while profiting at the slightest opportunities through easing of restriction”’ he funnily charged. He expressed gratitude to his landlady for being reasonable and considerate. He said government supported them through funding to keep the space because there would be life after lockdown and bills will pile up as expected. The bounce back loans through the banks were very help which he said thanks to the government that they were able to access those facilities for their sustainability against the financial overheads. With all the government support, they were missing the human presence because Braai King is not only a restaurant but a chilling spot and community hub for African diasporic communities. The quality of human interaction is very important and that is the next face of Post- COVID. “As Braai King, we provide that platform for people in the form of family and friends gatherings, focus groups for researchers, university students, meeting spots and live football matches and entertainment, all within our chilling and delicious Braai King menu of grilled steak, chicken, lamb and sausages served with specially hand-made salad and vegetable”, he said. He further mentioned that “people missed these kind of sessions and even if they continue working from home, they can’t wait for Braai King kitchen to start from Wednesday all the way to Sunday evenings for their delicious budget meals”. Customer patronage has been brilliant because he has been able to maintain his clientele and further attracted new clients since Braai King operates within a network of local businesses around Nottingham. Through this network, they compliment each other and increased their coverage within the community. University students who have lineage with Southern and Eastern African food, regularly converge at Braai King and enjoy the home-made food and the friendly atmosphere provided by the place and the people they meet there. According to Patrice, the students have been very patronising to Braai King. When asked what his immediate priorities are, he said they are looking forward to growth, “we were in the dungeons, we were all tired…everyone is out there now and want to experience life once again”, he noted. He said when something is taken away from you, you don’t realise the values that thing has until you need it again which for him, is the human interaction. Braai King is fully active in community-based voluntary services working with many charities in Nottingham. Since the COVID outbreak, Braai King had been involved in humanitarian services such as providing Ramadan “Iftar” meals to the needy and providing medication and food to many who were mandated to isolate, and these were all self-funded ventures. Braai King also joins other organisations in Nottingham in their quest to make the summer enjoyable through sporting activities and festivals.

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Develop a team of community embedded and based volunteers to help end female genital mutilation (FGM) by helping Mojatu to work with communities at all levels.

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