Barcelos Nigeria, an indigenous eatery services operator, has announced its plans to introduce a new service line, called ‘e-kitchen’ under Tribes subsidiary.
Tribe is a subsidiary of the company, which offers assorted local African dishes. According to Saheed Johnson, managing director of Barcelos, the online services would commence on December 13, 2014.
He says the company is committed to leveraging technology to offer quick and affordable services to customers, adding that it is a strategic plan to increase patronage and boost the business.
“You don’t have to go through the stress of preparing your own meal if you don’t want to. All you need to do is locate the nearest fast food restaurant, and you can get varieties of food that you may not even be able to prepare by yourself at home,” he says.
He explains that people working at a far distance have to leave their homes very early in the morning and by this time they cannot do any cooking of their own, rather they resort to buying food from fast food restaurants, which is a plus for a business man or woman. The soup tasting event also holds on December 13, in all Barcelos outlets.
Johnson, who pointed out that fast foods contribute to the growth of the economy, however, laments the parlous state of infrastructure in Nigeria.
According to him, restaurant operators groan under the weight of huge operational costs and lack of access road, and despite the enormous spending by government on transportation infrastructure across the country, the desired positive impact is yet to be felt by the business community and citizens.
The managing director also stresses the need for government to address the high and multiple charges incurred by many businesses, stating that the cost of doing business is escalating and lending rates also soaring in the country.
He therefore calls on the Federal Government to streamline and address all issues associated with infrastructure in order to reduce cost of business operations in Nigeria and grow small businesses.
HOPE MOSES-ASHIKE
