Shawarma way to making MILLIONS

Chibuzo Onyekere is a satis­fied young chef. He is among the many Nigerian youths that delved into Shawarma and Barbecue business, and are reap­ing bountifully from it. Many see this venture as a line for unserious and lazy young men, but Chef Chibuzo would vehemently dispute this notion. And watching the finesse Chibuzo employs in mixing cabbage and salad cream and other ingredients aptly shows that this fair young man is unabashed with the business he does. According to him, Shawarma and Barbeque is an exciting business opportunity that any serious-minded and passionate individual can cash into and make money.

In countries like Pakistan, the advent of their youths into small businesses like shawarma making was a big factor that led to the reduction of unemployment in their country. In Nigeria, there is already a huge market for Shawarma business waiting to be filled.

A Shawarma is a Middle Eastern sand­wich-like wrap filled with shaved meat – chicken, lamb, beef or a combination of any. Other things in the sandwich include vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes and sometimes French fries and garlic sauce. Most Shawarma are made outside restau­rants, and these Shawarma shops can be spotted easily by their towering logs of revolving meat and vertical red cookers. It’s easy to spot these Shawarma shops at many buzzing areas either at night or day. Interestingly, the consumption of this tasty, munchy snack is on the increase in Nige­ria.

When Chef Chibuzo felt the nudge to go and learn shawarma making skills, his family and peers thought he had lost his mind. When he secured employment in fast foods joints as their Shawarma maker, they tried persuading him to look for a more lucrative and ‘dignifying’ job. But he held on to his dream. And today after hon­ing his skills as an employee in many fast foods joints, Chibuzo has now morphed to become an employer of labour. And with his fledging franchise- Chimex Special Shawarma and Barbecue, has become his ultimate source of pride. “When I made up mind to start Shawarma and Barbeque business, I told my friends that I wanted to learn shawarma skills. My friends laughed at me, my family queried my choice. But I insisted and held on to my dream. Now, I am a proud owner of a business venture that I believe is going places,” he boasts.

The Imo State indigene can afford to boast because his advent into entrepre­neurship has paid off. For him, life as a Shawarma and Barbeque operator can­not be any better. Shedding light into the profitability of the business, Chibuzo said: “There is a lot of profit in this busi­ness. And I’m so excited about it. I’m my own boss and I work hard for myself. The capital I started the business with is noth­ing compared to the profits I get from it. On a typical business day, I can start my day with N8000 and by the time the day ends, I go home with twice that money. I sell a Shawarma with one sausage as low as N650. The price changes depending on the order. Some people prefer to have their shawarma with mayonnaise, while some prefer to have theirs with salad cream. The latter will be more expensive,” he dis­closed.

According to a business consultant, Mr. Victor Ezeude, Shawarma and Barbeque venture is one of the most profitable busi­nesses that you can start in Nigeria with N50,000. “This business is viable. And anyone can delve into this business, be­cause the start-up cost is very low. You only need to know how to make shawarma and barbecue. When you get skilled in it, you need to buy a grilling machine and get your shawarma ingredients ready. Then, find a lucrative location (like a hotel) where your goods would be easily seen. That is all! And you are to starting reap­ing from this venture. Shawarma and Bar­beque business is minimum risk venture, and there is huge profit potential in it. So, I would advise that if you have the money, start this business!”

Before delving into this venture, Chibu­zor cautioned that one should have a per­sonal introspection before taking a dive. According to him, one of the difficulties in starting a shawarma business is taking the bold step to float it. “When starting, you must also guard against people that would come to discourage you. Avoid such peo­ple because they would only make you to lose focus. But when you remain focused and start up your shawarma joint in a good site, people will notice you, and would come calling for goods,” he assures.

One of the challenges of running a busi­ness is reckless spending, and according to Chibuzor, one way to curb this, is to en­sure strict financial discipline. He suggests that serious-mindedness and not keeping wasteful friends is important in nurturing small business start-ups. “I don’t slack in my jobs. I’ve laboured so hard to have my own business. I’ve sacrificed a lot. I don’t even party or go clubbing with my mates. They see me as a recluse, but they don’t know I am doing what is necessary to protect my aspiration. When you are sur­rounded by shallow minds as your friends, they won’t understand the need to save, re-invest and nurture the business,” he stated.

He also hints that the amount of one pas­sion put towards learning the business de­termines the level of perfection he attains. According to Chibuzor, handling custom­ers could be a difficult task, but he has come to imbibe the saying that ‘the customer is king’. “In this business, I interact mostly with young people. Some customers out of youthful exuberance and immaturity make say things I deem insulting but I dare not react, because I believe that it your ability to tolerate their stinging insults that makes you to grow in this business. I have learnt that customers are always right.”

To excel in this small business venture, another consultant, Mr. Demola Adeoye in a chat with Saturday Sun reeled out strate­gies for floating and running a flourishing a shawarma franchise. “First, you must build a good repute in the area you are operat­ing. Then ensure you are well trained in making finest quality Shawarma to get fast spreading good word of mouth by the citi­zens. That will help to get the competitive edge. Nigerians are very conscious on taste of food, so if you’re for quality, all roads would lead to your stand. Again, make use of marketing strategies to quickly achieve the financial and other important goals.”

Mr. Adeoye further hints that a shawarma marker should try to build a good brand image, and promote the branding. “That will help to make franchises and expand­ing your business in future. Your customer should know you with your brand name. Just like Coke.” He also urged the use of social media platforms like facebook, twit­ter, Whatsapp, etc to promote your sha­warma business. And then ensure you add different type variety of shawarmas in your menu, because that would be a huge attrac­tion to potential customers.”