Anthony Bishop, a Kenyan, runs a thriving food business in Qatar called Jikoni Restaurant, which provides Kenyan and East African cuisine.
The restaurant has provided a sense of home for Kenyans in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, including Citizen TV’s Willis Raburu.
Speaking in a last interview, Bishop noted that he has employed five people, a majority of whom are Kenyans.
Bishop’s adventure began six years ago, in 2016, when he relocated to Qatar in pursuit of greener pastures, but was forced to look for work elsewhere when his contract expired.
“I wanted to give up at one time, I told my mum I was coming back to Kenya but she assured me things will get better,” he said.
Bishop offered partnering with a Pakistani buddy who had a restaurant to set aside one day, Friday, to market Kenyan cuisine.
“I approached and told him I noticed the space did not attract a lot of customers so I asked if we could sell Kenyan food on Fridays,” he added.
Dorothy Miaka: From Facing Deportation to Establishing Successful Homecare Business in the US
The proposal was favorably appreciated, and scores of Kenyans crowded the café.
Over time, he decided to relocate to an area near the majority of his consumers, along Old Airport Street in Doha.
Foods sold at the restaurant include githeri, mutura, njahi, chapati, sukuma wiki, matumbo and mukimo which goes for Ksh 1,000.
Customers who want to enjoy githeri, mutura, njahi, chapati, sukuma wiki, and matumbo have to part with Ksh 670, Ksh 340, Ksh 670, Ksh 65, Ksh 500 and Ksh 500 respectively.
According to Bishop, almost 90 per cent of the ingredients are sourced from Kenya to guarantee authenticity.
“In the next five years, I want to franchise my business, to have different branches spread across,” he said in an interview with Citizen Digital.
