Natalie and Samantha Mwedekeli, Sisters born to Nigerian and Kenyan parents in the cultural melting pot that is London, are the founders and owners of the trend-setting Mama Rocks Burgers Restaurant franchise – a dining gem with three locations and a food truck in Nairobi.
Mama Rocks Burgers Restaurant was the first fusion food establishment in Kenya to marry the American-style gourmet burger with a range of flavours inspired by cuisines from the four corners of the African continent.
From their mother’s hot pepper stews, their grandmother’s obsession with Nollywood movies and stories she shared of hanging with Fela Kuti’s mother in Abeokuta to the diverse Pan- African cuisines easily available in London, their culturally blended identity is a big influence on the adventurous Mama Rocks menu and brand.
The sisters have managed to create a strong brand that celebrates African music, film, dance and culture through not only quality food but an immersive experience and home away from home for all who come to our restaurants.
Background
Natalie and Samatha, born to Nigerian and Kenyan parents, take a lot of inspiration from their upbringing.
“We credit our parents with our ability to hustle. They moved us to the outskirts of London so that we could get a better education and have better overall opportunities,” the sisters told Sable Labs.
They went from living in a very diverse environment to being the only 2 black students in their school. Although far away from their peers, Natalie and Samantha remained connected to their culture through daily chats with their maternal grandmother.
The sisters concede that as their after-school caregiver, their grandmother instilled in them a love for African flavours; everything from hot pepper soup to jollof rice. Both Natalie and Samantha honoured their parents’ sacrifice by attending university in Surrey; Natalie, earned a degree in Human Resources and Samantha graduated with a degree in Law.
Working in London
By 2013, the sisters found themselves living fast-paced lives in central London. They both worked in human resources. Natalie worked for a charity organization that supported vulnerable people by helping them find work, while Samantha worked in recruitment for major media houses and creative agencies.
Natalie pointed out that despite having successful and fruitful careers, they felt unfulfilled.
“We knew that we eventually wanted to build something for ourselves and that London did not feel like the right place to do it. We would get up every morning and work all day (sometimes through lunch) and come home, only to do it all over again, the next day. At the end of the month, we would have just enough money to pay bills and go out once”.
Every year the sisters travelled to Kenya to visit their extended family. Eventually, their parents ended up moving back there. Like an increasing number of first-generation Brits, the Mwedekeli’s found themselves drawn to their parent’s “homeland”.
In 2015, Natalie and Samantha quit their corporate careers to realise their dreams of creating a brand that celebrated the continent of Africa. Their chosen medium? – Food. Their next move? – Working for what is arguably London’s best Independent Burger joint where they were mentored by the owner. During their time off they would develop the Mama Rocks brand and early recipe ideas.
Mama Rocks Burgers Restaurant
Nat and Sam’s African Style Gourmet Burger dreams became a reality when their creation, Mama Rocks Burgers, opened in January 2016 with their one-of-a-kind food truck. It was located at the Alchemist bar in West Lands, Nairobi- Nairobi’s cultural hub for food, fashion and music.
“We didn’t start off Mama Rocks saying that we were going to start a restaurant. We started it off because we came to Kenya every year and could find an Italian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant etc. but nothing that reflected the youthful vibrancy of Nairobi”.
As one of the first street food vendors in the city of Nairobi, Mama Rocks quickly garnered attention for its delicious transcontinental African menu and thoughtful modern branding.
Each of the now 3 Mama Rocks locations and the food truck features a queue and a menu touting 19 signature burgers. Every Burger is influenced by different elements of regional African culture. The Mango Masai Mama burger is layered with a bright mix of colourful veggies to reflect the robes of the Masai women, while the Nollywood Suya Saga burger has a bold peanut flavour, reminiscent of the famous Nigerian peanut stew.
Working together
Finding strength in their bond, the sisters have managed to steer the business to success.
“To be honest, I don’t think I could work with anyone else [the way I work with my sister]”, says Natalie.
“Working with my sister means that I can be really open and honest in the way I communicate. We know how to disagree. We are sensitive but know how to speak to each other without tiptoeing or hurting the other person,” Samantha adds.
Natalie explains that the two brainstorm together and assign tasks according to whoever is better suited for a particular assignment.
“While we have the same values, we are very different. Samantha is much more detail-oriented [than me] when it comes to budgets and financial management. I am more creative and conceptual, a bit more out there. We really complement each other”.
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