Old Bob's Place

I opened the restaurant in December 2005. With some turnover of staff, I now have seven permanent employees, most of them women, and Old Bob's Place is becoming a household name. Given the difficulties of acquiring loans in Ghana and the expense of start-up costs, profits will only accrue in year three.

The loan from Women Ventures International was used to help decorate the restaurant. I found very reliable workmen. Using hard wood, they built a bar that was classy looking – an important feature to have a respectable-looking establishment and keep up with the competition. I chose vibrant paint colours for the walls to match the wood and reflect the food -- wine, orange and mustard. I painted the kitchen bright yellow to keep the chefs happy. Food cooked by happy people always tastes better.

It has been hard to obtain loans in Ghana to furnish a restaurant. Most banks expected collateral. Even then, they were only interested in funding operations. Having managed a restaurant before, I realized that my only recourse was to seek funding outside of the banking system. So far, setting up my restaurant has cost more than $30,000. A few more things still need to be done to finish it off.

Paying rent is also a major factor in the operational costs of the restaurant as I have had to pay two years rent advance. I have signed a ten-year lease with an option to renew for another five years.

My present work force, as of April 2007, is seven permanent employees and three interns: Head Chef (man); Assistant Head Chef (woman); Assistant Chef - Purchasing (woman); Head Waiter (woman); Waiter (woman); General Duties (man); Washer (woman); three Interns, on placements for between three-to-six months, from the Opportunities Industrialization Center International (OICI) an organization that offers vocational training.