06 Apr 2021

There is no denying the popularity of the pizzeria business, with almost every city corner housing a soothing and flavorsome pizza shop.

Likewise, innovative and achievement-orientated Batswana have since dived into this niche for lucrative sales and most importantly drive a purpose within their respective communities.

Speaking during an appreciation tour of the recently opened Penthouse Catering Palapye, co-founders and business partners messrs John Adina and Onalenna Gabanakgosi extensively shared an intriguing story of how they successfully managed to set up the business.

Interestingly, it was fascinating to note that the two came from very contrasting career backgrounds, with Mr Adina being a full-time chef and Mr Gabanakgosi being an engineer.

The duo’s unique selling point has been centered on a wide inclusive menu made of pounded mix of game meat (seswaa) from warthog; impala; tholo; beef liver; Russian roulette; chicken; goat and pork, all served with a vegetable cocktail.

Mr Adina expressed that beyond serving assorted pizza; they also specialised in pies and other supporting products.

Mr Adina said their business started from the grassroots with every unique process within the business model overly reviewed and tested from their backyard for constructive feedback and verification.

He remembered times where they would call friends and family members to come and taste their various pizza recipes for refinery and quality assurance to determine the best taste that would align well with their service offerings.

Mr Adina mentioned that most importantly that staged a good platform to assess partnership goals and demonstrate each other’s strengths and weaknesses while pushing to achieve a dream.

After a careful business model review, a timeframe was set to entail when all the setups and launch would be completed, he said.

Mr Adina illustrated that part of their setting up included looking for space to rent where they could operate from. He however explained that they met with a realtor company, which afforded them space under friendly terms and conditions.

Furthermore, he advised that with lots of uncertainties in the market it was best to deal with a realtor company instead of individuals to avoid being siphoned monies through false contracts and the like.

"…through to where we are now we followed a picture which we never thought would come out as exceptional as premises look right now, hence why we have been followed by many people with interest to know how we made it,” he said.

Mr Adina said the number of employees to hire was influenced by potential clients they reached during their marketing campaigns through social media and word of mouth.He said what sets them apart from the rest was that their pizzas were made from freshly prepared dough and vegetables, with different fillings, mostly being seswaa as the main key ingredient in their toppings.

“Which means we incorporate game meat, goat, port and all other items that are there and people eat everyday but are just not accustomed to being added as ingredients," he said.

For pies and samosas, Mr Adina said they developed specialised distinctive dough which they gave a name for its refinery and how it’s kept in the refrigerator was where the secret was.

He underpinned that interestingly one would not tell that their pies were fried and not baked, therefore it was for this reason that when served they did not crumble.

Moreover, he said they invested a lot in the taste and the touch to remain distinctively different in the market, enticing customers to always come back for more.

Mr Adina noted that normally their competitors would have within their line of commodities, products that were dubbed extras and at penthouse their competitive edge was centred on supporting products which gave them leverage over their competitors.

He said their stand-alone supporting products entailed a P6 snack menu which allowed everyone entering their premises to afford something.

Mr Adina spoke of how their branding positioned itself in the minds of customers through combining such elements as logo, design and mission statement, citing that penthouses usually depicted an apartment building, condominium or hotel of luxurious and quality features.

He said it was for this reason that their colour combination and dedication to what they stood for resonated well with the much-needed quality assurance that customers bowed down for.

Mr Adina said their dedication has had them working extended hours even on weekends to remain relevant in the market, noting that it had been hard work and perseverance that brought the ideal picture and taste that people were now inured to.

As for the supply of vegetables, meats and related ingredients, Mr Adina said they were on the verge of sealing contracts with local suppliers.

He cited that for their sauces they had identified two women who specialised in making sauces of great taste and value, adding that it was for that reason that they were proud to announce that their purpose goes to even availing a market for local producers; something they uphold as giving back to the community.

Meanwhile, Mr Gabanakgosi demonstrated that for issues of supplementing cash streams and establishing a healthy financial position, it was only right for them to dive into the business.

He expressed that his company PlanetCure Projects had been engaged in the expansion of the Morupule Coal Mine and that some of the proceeds that were derived from the project were used to finance the newly opened Penthouse Catering Palapye.

Mr Gabanakgosi indicated that it was paramount for businesses to consider expanding their revenue streams to cushion for unforeseen circumstances and makeup to any business hiccup that might arise due to change in market trends.

He reiterated that food hubs stood best chances to make it in their line of trade because everyday people had to eat and therefore it was precise for him and his partner to explore the niche and generate revenue.

Mr Gabanakgosi mentioned that they wished to develop, sustain and replicate the model in the form of franchises, which shall be sold to Batswana at affordable margins.

He said already they had identified places within the four corners of the country that promised good market for their establishment, quoting that already Gaborone could take well over five eateries looking at the capacity and population of the place.

Mr Gabanakgosi said it would take more hard work to get here because already they were working on quality management processes to maintain taste and production level as well as protect their intellectual property.

He encouraged Batswana not to shy away from exploring business models, stating that with the business acumen they possessed they were more than willing to partner and provide consultancy services to anyone looking for assistance of any sort. ends