- Homegrown eatery finally launches chicken coop out in G/West
- The brand that stayed afloat at the height of COVID-19 is mulling franchising
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
After experiencing many hurdles in the course of looking for a permanent spot to set up shop, home grown chicken wings joint, ‘Wing it On,’ has finally found a place in Gaborone West.
Founded by athlete and businesswoman Natasha Siku at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the eatery recently launched its first rustic-inspired ‘chicken coop,’ much to the delight of enthusiastic gormandisers of chicken wings.
Dining space and aesthetics
“We are now stable in the context of location,” Siku told Time Out in an interview. “We experienced many hiccups in the last year and it caused a lot of confusion among our clients.
“We have opened our chicken coop that also features a dining space. The launch of the coop is a positive indication that we are headed in the right direction as our dream is to franchise.”
Despite Siku’s love for the colour black, she went for a fun, rather quirky but modern with a touch of minimalism aesthetics for her new chicken coop.
“I made use of the garage space and the results are amazing,” she said. “Small businesses struggle with finding space and we have had to make the most of what we have.”
Resilience
While most businesses closed shop because of the pandemic, the wings joint persevered until it attained stability. But when the world re-opened after the pandemic, competition was stiff as big competitors unleashed their strongest business tactics to stay ahead and attract more clientele.
“This period tested our resilience,” said Siku. “But we stuck to what makes us unique. We offer 11 homemade sources that people can enjoy with the wings. We did not box ourselves in as we allow our clients to customise the flavour they are in the mood for – be it Asian, lemon pepper or something spicy.”
Wing it On is a chicken wing bar that specialises in offering variety whose great experience is in the sauce used. According to Siku, new additions to the menu will be released next month (April).
Locally sourced wings
The joint sources its chicken wings from a local farm and has never experienced the brunt of shortage of wings that hit Botswana from late 2021 into 2022. But they were not so lucky when it comes to vegetables and inflation, which are challenges that every food business and Batswana are currently grappling with.
“Our customers have been responding well to our concept because we were intentional about our branding and aesthetic as a business,” said Siku.
“The fact that we have maintained our quality and standards has also worked for us as a brand.”