I met Dominic through a freind in 2017
The same year he started his small hotel business, commonly known as “kibanda” (makeshit hotel). Having worked in a local supermaket and then in a kibanda, he decided to start his own outfit with Kshs 6,000.00 that he had saved over time.
Three months after opening shop he almost gave up. People did not know who he was, I could relate because, I was once there, (I started my photography business July of 2017). The doubts, the losses incurred to make sure the business stays afloat, the days when there was no client to serve! Wondering if tomorrow will be the same or have a better day.
Not only did people not know him, or his food, but also Kenya was in an electioneering period. The general elections made the economy slow, and this affected his business just as it did mine.
President Kenyatta was sworn in into office for a second term and things started moving. This allowed Dominic to earn the trust from his clients, and referals brought in more clients. More business meant he could now invest back into his hotel business and make other investments elsewhere.
His mindset blowed my mind away!
Here is a backstory of how he prepares his dishes.
Dominics starts his day by making chapatis/chapos (flat bread)
I had just missed him mixing the dough…
Dominic in his dust coat rolling chapos..
He was abit tensed, and I quickly realized, for me to be able to document him at his work station, as is, and without posing him and moving anything, I had to engaged him in a conversation, as I took images. I did so and he openned up.
his chapos were not always as soft and as delicious as they are now…they would break like biscuit…he laughs as he remembers…
next up he starts preparing steamed cabbage…
he receives a phone call and I give him some privacy…
we continue with our conversations as he cooks…
next up is beef stew…
he seasons it with salt…
and soy sauce…
orders were coming in and his phone could barely stop ringing…
at this point I am salivating…
the highlight of the day was making of ugali. For this he had to put his meko (cooking stove ) on the floor!
writing this blog just made me hungry!
He goes to the front to have a conversation with the early morning regulars
next up is sukuma wiki
ready to serve his dish…( steamed cabbage beef stew and chapo) if you are not fancy chapo beef stew na cabbage.
Dominic jokingly tells me that he has never gone to any cooking school to be a chef or a business school to run his business.
I went in to take images but the conversations we had, left me encourage and challanged.
Dominic knows his stuff!