Kisumu City continues to experience growth in the hospitality industry with more investors pumping millions of shillings into the sector.
The latest entrant is the City Food Court on Oginga Odinga Street which officially opened its doors on Monday. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes.
City Food Court director Dr Daud Ibrahim said the restaurant project which will be done in three phases will cost Sh100 million.
Phase one, which is the restaurant, is already done while phase two of the project— which will see them create more restaurant space upstairs—is ongoing. Dr Ibrahim said they are expecting to complete phase three, which is the accommodations, by mid next year.
He said the restaurant was inspired by the existing gap within the city especially during the Covid-19 pandemic where people were required to embrace tele-working.
“As the name suggests it was named after the City of Kisumu. What went into the designing, lighting and the menu was a gap that professionals, whenever we want to hang out and simultaneously work, lacked an appropriate place,” he said.
Dr Ibrahim said the restaurant is designed in a way that the middle class can relax as they take a cup of coffee and work in a good atmosphere.
The restaurant idea, he said, was conceived by 11 professionals from various backgrounds such as medics, architects and engineers among others.
“All these professionals came up with each piece of design that you see in the first phase of the restaurant,” Dr Ibrahim said.
The director said plans are underway to expand the project to have facilities where clients will be able to do teleconferencing, media briefing or lecturing services.
“It is a big dream so this is just phase one of the project and we have two phases to go. I hope by the time we are done it will not only revolutionalise the way we do work but also make our lives easy while we perform to the best of our ability,” Dr Ibrahim said.
He said the restaurant has absorbed staff from diverse backgrounds from Rift Valley, Coast, Western and Nyanza regions.
Dr Ibrahim said their dishes are not limited to specific menus or specific communities. Some of the chefs have been employed from Zanzibar and Coast.
“We have ensured that every client who visits the restaurant gets what they want. It is one restaurant that is inclusive, and even our brothers and sisters from the Asian community are catered for,” he said.
So far, he said there are 31 staff employed full time, working in shifts. “The team of dedicated professionals seeks to ensure the dream of the restaurant is delivered as envisaged,” Dr Ibrahim added.
Upon completion of the second phase, the number of employees is expected to double.
“We are thinking of having an upstairs space where we will be moving from the open areas and do enclosure areas where if you want to have one-on-one discussion it will be more private. Like a small office for VIP treatment,” he said.
In phase three, the director said they will construct accommodation, which will have convertible rooms.
“We will use technology which enables clients to have rooms which are flexible and adjustable to their needs,” Dr Ibrahim said.
He said Kisumu is conducive for investments and urged politicians to embrace political tolerance to ensure political goodwill for more investments.
“Kisumu is the destination of investments and it is one city where you can comfortable walk in the streets without fear,” Dr Ibrahim
“We are pumping millions into these project because we are sure our business is safe due to the relative peace the lakeside is enjoying. Kisumu is not what people think of outside there,” he said.
Dr Ibrahim said they are opening a restaurant, a few months to the general election to prove that Kisumu is not hostile for investments as it has been perceived.
He lauded the county government for digitisation of the registration, approval and licensing of businesses.
Upon completion of the project, Dr Ibrahim said they will focus on other viable investments.
At the Africities summit in Kisumu in May next year, he said they will provide the attendants with the best services they need.
“We will accommodate all participants from respective diverse communities,” Dr Ibrahim said.
He said they will also do deliberate investment in corporate social responsibility to uplift the lives of communities.
The director added that they also plan to engage hospitality institutions where they will mentor selected students through the professionals working at the restaurants.
-Edited by SKanyara