How Adetola started a cocktail business with N5, 000
Adetola Abolarinwa is the founder of The Originals, a cocktail business operating in Lagos and its environs. Adetola has seven years’ experience in Nigeria’s cocktail business.
Adetola was inspired to establish The Originals in 2010 out of her desire to be independent. According to her, her mother had always taught her to be self-dependent.
Growing with this mind-set of self-dependence, Adetola attended a cocktail and bar-attendant school in Ibadan after her secondary education, to equip herself with the necessary skills needed for the business.
She said being an entrepreneur did not deter her from continuing her education as she was able to combine studies and business. She had to move her business location to school in order to be more effective and reduce stress.
The Industrial Relations graduate started her business with less than N5, 000, which was spent on the purchase of basic items needed for the business. Adetola stated that her business had grown since starting, owing to her continued efforts and the desire to see it succeed.
“My business has grown a whole lot. We are not where we want to be, but by the grace of God and with continuous effort, we will get there. I have a very strong desire to see my business grow,” she said.
Adetola stated that high cost of food items in the market had been a major challenge for the industry, limiting its growth in the last two years. She urged the government to provide a more conductive business environment so that start-ups could survive.
Also, the economic downturn in the country was also a challenge confronting Adetola’s business. She stated that cocktail in most event menu was fast disappearing as most clients tried to cut down their costs.
The mixthologist told Start-Up Digest that the business had been able to survive because she learnt to always work within her customer’s budget.
“Some clients want a glamorous event but sometimes are not willing to pay. So what do you do? You market yourself and also work within the budget of the client,” she said.
In addition, Adetola said she had remained in business because she was able to create her own niche for her business.
Adetola sources her fruits from local markets in the country and pre-order from her supplier called Vegit, a business platform that supplies varieties of fruits to customers. She said seasonality in fruit farming was also limiting the potential of the country’s hospitality industry.
When asked what advice she would give to other young entrepreneurs, Adetola said: “Be persistent, create your own niche, you don’t have to follow the crowd and, finally, you have to pray. It’s always better to be original.”
She stated that the country’s cocktail industry could help diversity the Nigerian economy because it required little capital to start with. The industry was interesting because it was one anybody could venture into irrespective of age, she said.
“Creativity, they say, is the spice of life. The sky is big enough for everyone, so irrespective of how small the business is, you would always appeal to your own crowd because Nigerians love parties and would want to have cocktail on their menu,” she said.
Josephine Okojie