Bright Asiimwe Wandera, a serial retail and hospitality entrepreneur in Uganda  — Lionesses of Africa

Why should anyone use your service or product?

Our products and services are high end, we treasure in producing and providing high quality products and services. Excellence is something that we strive for daily. There’s a notion in my country that us locals can never be able to provide high quality service or products. For me, this was and is my motivation to work hard and show our customers that we can provide the best as Ugandans.

Tell us a little about your team

I have a team of professionals, 5 chefs and 2 baristas with good experience in the industry and 2 visiting expert chefs that come in once a week to further mentor and coach the team on new trends in the industry, but also to ensure that everything is on track. We have other staff who do marketing, cashier work and service staff. Part of my team are service providers that I’ve walked with for many years, they help me with conceptualizing the idea, setting up the space and maintenance of the machines. They include the technician who services and repairs the machine, the electrician, the Interior designer and the guy who sets up the steel works in the kitchen. In fact, this team set up Plum Café and Restaurant in my absence because by the time of setting it up, I was sick, I had a back problem, and my movements were limited. I’d only get pictures sent to me by the team leader at the end of the day to show me how work is progressing.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I come from a family of entrepreneurs, both my Mum and Dad are. My Mum is a serial entrepreneur with grit and tenacity and most people who know her do not get surprised when they meet me on my entrepreneurial journey. I grew up counting money at the end of day when my Mum returned home, but I was very focused on my education, it wasn’t until much later that I started my first business. I remember the thought of starting a business came when I was doing my Bachelor’s degree. There were opportunities at the university, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to balance my course which was hard, Bachelor of Statistics, and running a business. So, I decided to concentrate on education first and promised myself that I’d start my first business after completing my master’s degree.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

One of the challenges that we face in this industry is the inconsistency in the quality of ingredients on the market especially meats and vegetables. So, our future plan is to produce our own ingredients, to ensure consistency in the supply chain and the quality of our food ingredients. We plan to set up a farm where we shall be able to rear animals and grow most of the vegetables and spices.