Opening and running a successful restaurant is no easy endeavour. It takes hard work, commitment, a stellar team and quality service to make a restaurant successful.
Very few restaurants in Machakos compare to the Spoton Restaurant located at the Machakos Peoples Park. The proprietor, Mrs Jane Wambui Ndetto, is an established businesswoman who swears by commitment and active involvement to make any business work.
WoK spoke to Mrs Ndetto in a lively conversation that immeadiately turned into an informative session of the ins and outs of running a restaurant. She let us in to where she sources her ingredients and raw materials, and gave us her two cents on tips and tricks of running a successful restaurant business.
Read on to pick her brain and learn her ways.
Read Also: Anthony Ndetto: Machakos Tycoon Behind Award-Winning Kamuthanga Fish Farm
Please introduce yourself and what you do
My name is Jane Wambui Ndetto, I am the proprietor of the Spoton Restaurant and Kamuthanga Farm Restaurant in Machakos.
What was the motivation behind opening the two restaurants?
The whole idea of opening the Kamuthanga Farm Restaurant was to get a way of selling fish from the Kamuthanga Fish farm. When we later opened the restaurant at the Park, it was an additional channel of selling the fish. We saw a business opportunity and took it.
How does a typical day at work look for you?
A typical day at the restaurant involves getting there early, ensuring that there is enough stock, checking in with the team, welcoming and serving customers. Basically, ensuring that the days activities at the restaurant run smoothly.
What are your working hours?
Our working hours are 9 am to around 7 pm Tuesdays to Sundays.
Your restaurants are known for very delicious food and amazing service team. How do you maintain the quality of service and retain customers?
Thank you, very much. I do this by ensuring that I am hands-on with the running of the business. I also actively listen and act on feedback I receive from our customers.
Why Machakos Peopes park?
The Machakos Peoples Park is a very vibrant, popular and strategic location. This location is perfect for business since we are right at the heart of Machakos town.
Read Also: Mark Ndetto: The Man Behind The Popular Everything Fish Restaurant & Sports Bar
How many employees do you have?
We currently have six members of staff, including the cooks and servers.
Where do you source your raw materials and cooking ingredients?
Most of our raw materials are sourced from the Kamuthanga farm. We get fresh fish from the Kamuthanga fish farm and vegetables like onions, tomatoes and greens from the farm as well. Other products like flour, cooking oil, etc., are outsourced from the nearby Machakos market.
What attributes, in your opinion, have contributed to the overall success of your restaurant?
I would say that I am a very hands-on person. I am aware of the daily routines and the nitty gritties of running the restaurant. I also relate very well with my workers and I am very keen on maintaining the best standards of hygiene. The good location also helps, in addition to taking the risk to start the restaurants.
Next time you are in Machakos, be sure to pass by the Spoon Restaurant at the Machakos Peoples Park and the Kamuthanga Farm Restaurant to experience the delicious food.
