How I Built A Thriving Food Brand Against All Odds – Caterer

ARINOLA AKINOLA, in this interview with OLAMIDE OJUOKAIYE shares her journey from a young girl with a passion for food to building a structured catering brand, while navigating Nigeria’s tough business environment.

How did your journey into catering begin?

Growing up was fun. My father wanted me to study Nursing, but I had always loved anything related to food, even during my secondary school days. After his demise, when I was about to write JAMB, I insisted on pursuing a food-related course.

I gained admission to study Food Science and Technology, which laid the foundation for my career. While in school, I started making pastries for my classmates, and the positive feedback encouraged me. After my NYSC, I worked briefly as a chef to gain experience, but I eventually resigned to fully focus on building my own catering brand.

What were the early challenges and how did you overcome them?

Limited capital was a major challenge. Getting the right equipment and quality ingredients was not easy, and building customer trust was tough at the early stage as it required patience. While also, managing orders, deliveries and time while maintaining quality was also demanding. However, the breakthrough I will say is the consistency and referrals from satisfied customers that helped the business grow steadily.

What was the turning point that changed the trajectory of your business?

Introducing small chops was a major turning point. The product gained attention quickly, and referrals brought in new customers who later explored other services I offered. That significantly increased the visibility of my brand.

How would you assess the impact of current government policies on MSMEs in the catering sector?

Nigeria’s MSME policies aim to boost small businesses through funding, regulatory support, skill acquisition and capacity building. Government policies have had a mixed impact. While there are support initiatives on paper, they are constrained by implementation gaps, limited access to finance and the operating environment remains very challenging. Such as high inflation, rising food prices, multiple taxation, and unstable power supply continue to drive up the cost of doing business.

The sharp increase in prices of key ingredients forces caterers to either raise prices or reduce portions, which can affect customer satisfaction. Regulatory requirements are also often duplicative, making compliance stressful. In reality, these policies have not sufficiently eased the burden on operators.

Have you benefited from any government intervention programmes? What barriers exist?

I have not significantly benefited from such programmes, and that is common among many small caterers in my sector.

Due to the barriers that include a lack of clear information, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and strict eligibility criteria. From my perception, many small business owners cannot meet documentation or collateral requirements. There are also concerns about transparency and delays in disbursement.  As a result, most of us rely on personal savings or informal funding to run our businesses.

What should the government do to better support entrepreneurs like you?

There is a need for practical and targeted support. Access to low-interest loans should be simplified, and multiple taxation and levies must be addressed.  I believe the implementation of the Tax bill through a harmonised system will curb a part of this problem.

As a Nigerian and business owner, what we will keep clamouring for is stable electricity, availability of fuel and better roads. These will reduce the operating costs of most business operators. The government should also provide more structured vocational training programmes that cover a lot of professions. Everyone can’t have access to white-collar jobs in this present situation we are as a nation. The government should make sure that intervention programmes must be more transparent and accessible to genuine small business owners.

What role does staff training, structure and service delivery  play in your business?

Staff training is the backbone of the catering business. The quality of service depends on the people delivering it. We invest in continuous training. New staff undergo orientation in hygiene, food safety, customer service, and presentation. We also maintain standard operating procedures for portion sizes, plating, and service timing.  Also, regular supervision and feedback help us maintain consistency and improve performance.

How do you ensure efficient logistics and timely delivery, especially for large events?

In this sector just as anyone out there, preparation is key and I start early to avoid last-minute pressure and work with reliable delivery personnel. There should be a clear communication with both team and clients ensures that expectations are well understood. This level of coordination always help to deliver efficiently, be it for small or for large events.

How do you manage costs while maintaining quality?

I buy ingredients in bulk and stockpile during the right seasons. This method helps reduce the costs of what is to be used and above all maintains consistency of the service. So there should be a careful  planning and smart sourcing allow me to balance affordability with quality, which is critical in this business.

While there are many informal businesses sectors thriving, is it right to say the catering business is profitable in today’s economy?

The catering business can be highly profitable, but it requires careful planning and consistency. Sustainability depends on managing costs, maintaining quality, and building customer trust.

How has your business evolved over time?

I started small, serving mostly friends and family. Over time, the business grew through referrals, leading to larger orders and event catering. Today, the business is more structured, with better planning, improved service delivery, and a loyal customer base.

What advice can you give small business operators that will set their  brand apart in a highly competitive market?

The focus should always be on quality, consistency, and attention to detail. In my sector, it  is not enough to deliver just good food, but also appealing presentation and reliable service.

Also, it is advisable to offer a wide range of services from small chops and pastries to full event catering, all these I do as it  makes my brand a one-stop solution for clients.

We are in a fast pace world with Technology playing a major role. How do you leverage technology to grow your business?

I use social media to showcase my products, share menus, and interact with customers. It has helped me attract new clients through content creation that showcases varieties of our services and it also help maintain relationships with existing ones.

In a society like ours where there are higher expectations from services providers. How do you balance client expectations with operational realities?

It starts with clear communication. I take time to understand what the client wants and then assess what is feasible.

Where there are limitations, as an experienced caterer should suggest alternatives that still meet quality standards. And during events, It is important to maintain strict coordination, teamwork, and quality control to deliver as agreed.

Lastly,what advice can you give anyone interested in building a career from this line of profession.

Start with proper training and hands-on experience because skill and consistency will set you apart.  Keep costs low, deliver quality service and build a strong team as success in catering comes from discipline, reputation and patience.