Teacher reaps from food and juice

In a 3x 6 sized maroon painted room, I find Lynette Kubatikira. As I wait to have a word with her, many clients who refer to her as  ‘madam’ stream in, which gives me the  impression that her joint is busy. 

Kubatikira is a teacher at Seeta High School Mukono, Mbalala campus. I later learn that she harboured intentions of starting a fast food restaurant right from university, an idea she implemented during the first lockdown last year.  

“I have magical hands when it comes to food. When I choose to prepare food, I give it my best. Not just cooking, but also the way I present it. And this is a talent I hoped to generate money from,” she says after a brief introduction.

New normal 
Before Covid-19 ravaged the country, Kubatikira spent time planning for her daily lessons, from which she earned a salary. When schools were closed, the status quo was shaken. Life was never the same again. 

The frustration of how she would sustain her family through this period, drove her into moments of reflection. With her savings, after one and half months at home, Kubatikira started looking for a place in the nearby trading centre, where she could set up a fast food restaurant.  

After days of searching, she would later shelf her idea, after discovering that rent would eat into her savings. Kubatikira and her family relocated to the village, where she engaged in agriculture, until the lockdown was eased and schools reopened. 

Kubatikira and her husband are both teachers.  Schools reopened in January 2021, but she was not called back. She decided to venture into selling second hand clothes, but business was too slow and sometimes, she returned home without making any sales. 

“It was frustrating; I hired space, but there were days I did not get a single customer. After two months, I had to close the business,” she recalls.

But there were lessons to learn. Giving up was not an option. In fact, the collapse of her clothing business, resurrected her restaurant idea. 

Kubatikira convinced her husband to purchase a juice dispenser at Shs1.5m. She hired space where she placed the table and the dispenser. Here, she paid Shs450,000 for rent for three months upfront. She sold out all the juice she made, except on rainy days.

“On the first day, I made five litres of cocktail juice and I sold each glass at Shs1,000.  Before 1pm, it was sold out. Sundays being market days, I would make Shs60,000 and a net profit of Shs20,000,” Kubatikira says. 

Big vision
Kubatikira’s vision was bigger than what her clients saw. She later secured a glass display table for snacks, which increased her daily income.

“I had sold juice for a month, but I needed more money to buy a display table. My husband purchased it at Shs800,000,’’ she adds. 

A week after procuring the display table, Kubatikira came across a vacant room within the same area, where she had gone to deliver a glass of juice to a client. 

She decided to relocate to the new room, which she secured at Shs900,000 three months upfront in May 2021. In order to make the space more appealing to her clients, she incurred a cost of  Shs600,000 for renovation. She also acquired a deep fryer, a potato chopper and gas to ease her work. 

Although she did not have chairs or tables in the new space, her delivery services won her many clients and she started getting more orders. Kubatikira sold a plate of chips and beef at Shs3,000.  

She would later purchase 10 armless plastic chairs and three tables. She started selling pillau, katogo, chips with liver, sausages, chicken, beef, eggs and juice. She also sells snacks such as meat pies, chaps, beef samosas, chapatti  and egg rolls.

On a good day, she sells 36 plates of food. She gets many orders for katogo, because it is available throughout the day.  

Achievements
Much as Kubatikira may not have a list of tangible achievements at the moment, the fact that she believed in herself and started a business that is sustaining her livelihood is worth celebrating. 

“Although school closure rendered many of us jobless , I am not a beggar.  I can comfortably pay my bills,” she adds. 
Her clientele base has grown tremendously and she makes more sales every day. The juice business has been stable with growing number of clients. On a good day, she sells 15 litres of juice.     

Challenges
Despite increased sales, the road has not been smooth for Kubatikira.
“Most of the kitchen appliances use electricity. Unstable power supply causes losses,” she says. 
She also has to buy disposable forks every week, which eats into her would-be savings.  

Her love for good food and people who appreciate her services have given her the zeal to persevere amidst all obstacles. Kubatikira is neat and does not compromise her standards. 

The teacher cum businesswoman has also acquired customer relationship skills. “Some clients are impatient and nagging but I have learnt how to deal with them,” she says. 

Kubatikira employs two women, whom she pays a salary of 120,000. Her husband has also supported her financially and emotionally.

Future plans
Kubatikira plans to acquire a big charcoal stove and to serve customers even on days when there is no electricity. She hopes to expand, attract more clients and prepare local food.  
She is also planning to acquire a commercial deep fryer and gas cooker, hire a chef and an accountant. 

New dawn
Before Covid-19 ravaged the country, Kubatikira spent time planning for her daily lessons, from which she earned a salary. When schools were closed, the status quo was shaken. Life was never the same again. 

The frustration of how she would sustain her family through this period, drove her into moments of reflection. With her savings, after one and half months at home, Kubatikira started looking for a place in the nearby trading centre, where she could set up a fast food restaurant.  

After days of searching, she would later shelf her idea, after discovering that rent fees would eat into her savings. Kubatikira and her family relocated to the village, where engaged in agriculture, until the lockdown was eased and schools reopened. 

Kubatikira and her husband are both teachers.  Schools reopened in January 2021, but she was not called back.