adminachieved. You’ve worked hard. You’ve earned it.
Taking time to celebrate your success provides a way to say thank you to your team and helps with motivation. It also gives you an opportunity to show appreciation to your stakeholders and helps to cement relationships. I had an occasion last week to attend one such function where a young entrepreneur was hosting a customer appreciation day at the increasingly popular Garwe Restaurant in Eastlea, where the who is who of Harare were in attendance.
The ethnic restaurant that specialises in traditional meals in a home setting has played host to some of the luminaries in showbiz including R & B icon Akon and dancehall singer Sean Paul. There is talk in town that you haven’t tasted the true African cuisine if you haven’t been to Garwe Restaurant. The restaurant has proved to be a popular joint for business lunches and dinners as well as family outings, offering up to 21 different dishes.
It was befitting that the owner of the restaurant, Mandy Mvukwe, set aside last Thursday night for the end of year cocktail party where she treated most of her loyal clients to an evening of glitz and glamour. Besides the striking outdoor décor that transformed the restaurant into a grand stage, the food and drinks on the house made it even more exciting. Coming from a banking background, Mandy decided to give it a go in the hospitality industry a few years ago and the results are there for all to see.
What has probably made her business a success is her commitment to detail and professionalism that has seen growth and diversity in the business. Her ability to network with individuals and corporates has also helped to build her client base cutting across private companies as well as Government departments and agencies.
Mandy has managed to put together a young and motivated team of staff from those responsible for the gardens to the kitchen staff that is committed to the well-being of the restaurant.
Although competition is stiff in the restaurant business, Mandy has successfully managed to differentiate the service offering that has helped the restaurant to be in a class of its own.
Garwe Restaurant was voted the best ethnic restaurant at the 2011 Zimbabwe Tourism Association Annual Tourism Awards and continues to strive for excellence.
Here is an outstanding example of a committed entrepreneur who has managed against all odds to hold her own in the presence of even bigger players. Mandy distinguishes herself as a classic entrepreneur who saw an opportunity and used her resources to tap the market. That she has done very well.
The presence at the function of some of the major players in the hospitality industry, particularly RTG Group chief executive Chipo Mtasa, added flavour to the event as she extended words of encouragement to Mandy. She advised her to consider expanding her business and consider opening up in some of the prime tourism hotspots like Victoria Falls.
Other notable figures present were Nyaradzo Group chief executive Phil Mataranyika and Trust Holdings boss William Nyemba.
Among the celebrities present were Baba and Amai Charamba, Suluman Chimbetu, Peter “Dhewa” Moyo, Winky D and Stunner. Some of the corporates and individuals were presented with prizes for their patronage that included live goats, chickens and guinea fowls.
As highlighted in previous instalments we need to have creative minds to generate business ideas and always keep an open mind and see new perspectives. We should never stop generating ideas and while some of them might appear wild, we must be persistent and even when you seem to be going against the grain, you should hang in there.
Creativity can be improved by giving special attention to each variable individually and in an interdependent context. This begins with the individual as we all come from various backgrounds, the process that incorporates awareness of the interest one has and the actual generation of the idea itself.
Once you have identified an opportunity and you are able to turn it into a business and capable of satisfying the market, you should not stop there. You should be inspired to search for other challenges and that might mean starting all over again with a goal to achieve.
As always let’s make money.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter