WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS
Olawunmi Omotoyinbo is the chief executive officer of SaladChops Catering Services, a full-fledged food services outfit. The organisation prides itself as a foremost food hospitality company with variety, flexibility and timeliness as its main assets, having executed numerous events for top-notch corporate and high profile private clients. SaladChops is also into kitchen management in the health sector and provides that service for a major teaching hospital and a highly-respected private hospital. The company has, over the years, evolved into a Total Events Solutions outfit, providing value-added services like event planning, decorations, security, logistics, drinks, ushers and venue sourcing for a complete, well-rounded and extremely professional and value-driven service delivery for clients. A former media aide to the MD of Siemens Nigeria, Omotoyinbo speaks with Oyinlola Sale on us how her catering business, SaladChops grew into becoming an events company as well
SaladChops started as a catering outfit and then expanded into events. Tell us the story behind that journey?
Yes, initially, we were a purely a catering outfit, concentrating only on that aspect. As we continued to grow we realised that it was important to evolve into a Total Events Solutions company because some clients didn’t want to have to deal with various suppliers for one event so the smart move was to become a one-stop shop for our clients for all their event needs and that evolution has worked very well for us.
How did SaladChops grow to become a business that caters for hospitals as kitchen managers?
Well somewhere along the line, an opportunity to manage the kitchen for a teaching hospital presented itself through an open bidding process. We sent in a proposal, got invited to pitch alongside other catering outfits and thankfully, we were selected by the panel. Since then, we’ve tried our best to provide quality service which led to a recommendation by someone and the private hospital then invited us for discussions which went well and we got that kitchen management contract as well. This involves providing three meals a day for the in-patients at the hospitals, which is very challenging, but thankfully we’ve been able to deliver to the satisfaction of our clients.
The events industry has evolved from what it was 20 years ago. How did it inspire the creation of SaladChops?
Well, like I said earlier, we started out as a purely catering outfit. This was at the encouragement of my husband, who always believed I should become an entrepreneur and really pushed me and supported me right from the start. I have always been a good cook, thanks to my mum and it was something I enjoyed doing. It was a case of turning a passion into a profession.
At the time I started in 2010, the events industry was already becoming a very focused, engaged and creative one. Naturally, we had to move with the times and delve into the other aspects of the industry so as to stay relevant and competitive.
SaladChops is a company that has many branches from catering to event planning. How do you combine the two?
We had to learn to multi-task. Catering and events are intertwined and ability to deliver on both aspects enhances your ability to compete. We’ve had clients who live abroad and only wanted to deal with a one stop shop for all their event needs. For such clients you have to be able to deliver on both fronts and I believe we are able to do that effectively.
The event industry sees a daily increase in the number of players. In what ways does SaladChops stand out?
Yes, it is a highly competitive field with many competent players. Our key words for business success are quality and consistency. We try at all times to deliver quality service to our clients on a consistent basis. That has helped us to build pedigree and trust from our clients and has also endeared us to new clients. I believe this is what stands us out.
Was there ever a time you stumbled on a road block that made you feel like giving up? How did you overcome that situation?
To be honest, so far there hasn’t been any major stumbling block. My husband who is an entrepreneur, as well prepared my mind by telling me at the start that, stumbling blocks are just stepping stones to greater success, if you are focused and determined.
There has been some difficult and really challenging situations but somehow, we managed to pull through and deliver. Hopefully, there won’t be many stumbling blocks ahead, but when they do come, I want to believe we are well-equipped to overcome them. Giving up is and will never be an option no matter how hard the road is.
The event industry is capital intensive. How did you manage to finance this business in its early days?
You’re quite right it is capital intensive. Initial support came from my husband and my mom. I also got what I will call business support from family and friends who encouraged us by giving us catering jobs for their parties and referrals to corporate organisations, some of which gave us events like product launches and AGMs. As we grew, we invested a big chunk of our profits into purchasing equipment so as to be fully independent. We are not there yet but we are keep working at it.
How has SaladChops managed to build a sustainable brand in the food and events Industry?
Again I go back to these words I used earlier. Quality and consistency. These are our brand values as an organisation. I have come to realise that, if you are able to deliver on these two ideals, you cannot go wrong and the likelihood is that you will even garner more clients. That’s what we always strive for in all our engagements: Quality, Consistent Service Delivery.
What impact do you see SaladChops making in the food and events industry in the next five years?
In the next five years we hope to be a leading light in the Catering and Events Service industry. We intend to hold on to our present clientele by continuing to provide excellent service, which we pray leads to gaining even more clients.
We also intend to expand our food management services beyond hospitals and into the hospitality and travel Industry, namely hotels and airlines. While looking ahead we remain focused on our current clientele and will strive to continue to give them value for money by the quality of service we provide.
