Growing up Sylvia Otieno had one simple evening routine. She and her brother would grab a stool and watch their mother cook. “She made delicious meals and seating there, I remember admiring her diligence, skills, and creativity.”
It stopped at that until early 2020 when a friend gifted her a blender. “I made homemade chilli and different types of milk shapes. What I started out to while time turned into a business venture. My family wanted to buy some and soon enough, neighbours and friends were ordering,” she offers.
The result? Sistes Kitchen, cloud catering business (a restaurant that specialises in delivery orders only).
In late 2020, she attended an economic program hosted by Action Aid, and the attendees were requested to submit business ideas for funding. Her business plan was approved and funded, propelling her to where she is today.
“It was a slow start. So my then partner and I opted to market the brand on Twitter since we were receiving more engagements than on other platforms. I remember getting a few orders to make food for friends who later referred others. Unfortunately, my partner got discouraged and dropped off the partnership and I had to bear the weight of running a start-up alone,” she recalls.
For eight months, she shelved the plan and went into social media marketing, where she managed other people’s social media pages. “Then I started getting calls. Someone wanted some milkshake. Another one had missed my pilau. So I got back into the business.
My comeback was strong as I was committed to seeing things work. I would actively market myself, and create business cards, and logos. Also, I leveraged technology to reach out to potential clients, mostly on social media. Within a short time, I was able to get more clients and even managed to get one employee,” she says.
While the business was in its formative stage, her task was to attract and retain clients to enable the business to flourish. Today, she counts herself lucky because she has fulfilled her ambition to build a successful career in cloud kitchen. Even with the economic recession that has gripped the world and upended the lives of many people especially because of the pandemic, her business is still standing.
“At Sistes we combine taste and professionalism. We offer delicious and wholesome meals made with a blend of natural spices, homemade chilis, and kachumbari. Our prices are affordable starting from as low as Sh 230. All our orders are placed online and we frequently post photos to give clients a hint or suggestions of what to order. Besides offering pre-order services, I am often invited to people’s homes to cook and train house managers, which I find very fulfilling,” she says.
Sistes kitchen variety meals displayed on her social media accounts. Photo | Pool
Her customers include the working class and anybody that values convenience.
“Knowing what attracts them to my business has given me an edge over other restaurant owners in my niche. Clients can choose where the food will be made, some prefer I make them and deliver it to their homes, while others prefer I cook in their homes.
Also, I have clients who pre-order a one-week menu and in that case, they can pay on a monthly basis,” she says.
Currently, Sylvia runs a two months training program for seven refugees in her house which comprises cooking different food options.
“From my research, I have noted that the best legacy I can leave behind is to empower others to start their businesses. With the high rate of unemployment, I believe we can come up with creative ways of earning a living. The training program aims at creating business opportunities and hence, building a strong community,” she attests.
Sylvia believes in partnering with other chefs to promote other women in business. “I am a single mother of one and I am especially passionate about supporting young mothers,” she says.
“An American philanthropist and public speaker Sarah Ban Breathnach once said that the world needs dreams and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. This is the principle that I live by. In the future, I intend to teach my skills on a large scale and set up a center to sponsor single mothers. I understand the challenges they go through raising their children and hence, such business opportunities would enhance advancement in their lives and future generations,” she asserts
To the youth still waiting for jobs, Sylvia advises that “You can use your passion, skills, and talents to make a living instead of waiting for employment, “she concludes. BY DAILY NATION