By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye
Famous restaurant chain Shagalinku has 300 employees. It is in the Federal Capital and some Northern cities like Kaduna, Zaria, Birnin Kebbi and Kano. Among its clientele are former presidents, governors, lawmakers, diplomats, and regular Nigerians.
In this interview, the restaurant’s owner, Alhaji Umaru Shagalinku, described how, in 1975, he was inspired by the large crowds that frequently gathered at a modest eatery in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, to open what is now a well-known chain from a hut in Tudun Wada, along the Zaria-Jos Road, selling Hausa traditional delicacies at reasonable prices.
He spoke about why none of his children or other family members is involved in the running of the restaurant, as well as the restaurant’s special event on May 29.
It’s interesting to know that your chain of restaurants remains the rendezvous for the high and mighty. What attracted you to this line of business?
I started about 40 years ago. I have travelled to all the African countries. I lived in Sierra Leone and then that is where the interest to open a restaurant came up. There’s this restaurant I frequented in Sierra Leone to eat. So, I used to see a lot of people there and it was surprising. I told myself that the day I would return to my home country, I must open a restaurant because I want people to come together and eat my traditional food.
I started out from Zaria. My hometown is Birnin Kebbi, that is where I was born but Nigeria is my country. I opened a small restaurant in a mud house on Zaria Road. Those that used to patronise me then were students from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and from other places. That is how Shagalinku became a household name in Nigeria.
How many branches do you have now and how have you been able to manage all these branches?
We have the Kano branch, there’s one at Birnin Kebbi town, one in Kaduna, one in Zaria, Gwadugwaye, and then two in Abuja. The last one is just six months old and already people are trooping there. I am in charge of all the branches but I have some managers overseeing the branches. I always go round the branches at least once or twice a month. My eyes are on my business and I don’t want to leave any gap. Any of my staff that misbehaves is fired right away. I don’t listen to apologies because you are supposed to know better. Running a restaurant business is very difficult. If a first time customer comes in and he or she is not impressed, he won’t give positive reviews to those who might want to patronise us. He will say, they are telling lies, the food is not good. That is why I don’t give room for mistakes by my workers. They are well paid. They are entitled to free breakfast, lunch and dinner and N10,000 or more as pocket money every 10 days depending on your category.
How many staff do you have in your employ?
I have about 300 plus staff working for me. Before now, if you apply to work in any of our branches, there were no conditions attached. But now you must put down N30,000 because I want to know if you value the work. And if you mess up in the course of the work you are fired. If you decide to come back and have shown remorse, then you must commit by paying another N30,000. Aside restaurants, I have hotels in Birnin Kebbi, Zaria and supermarkets.
For you to employ 300 workers, it means you must be making a lot of money. So what do you do to attract this level of clients?
Well, a customer wants good service in a neat and peaceful environment. He or she wants respect. For me, the customer is always right. If you offend my customer you must go. Of course, there are times the customer might be upset and use abusive words. It is in your place as a worker to apologise to him, calm him down and not talk back at him. Bottom line, you are to manage such situation. Because, he is the one bringing the money that is paying your salary, we must respect the customer. We are after money and that is why we offer good food and good service.
With several branches, is the quality of food the same? Can you let us in on your secret?
It is the same quality, the same price, the same tastes in all the branches of Shagalinku. Well, I don’t know about secrets, but the taste of the local dishes we offer are the same everywhere we are located. Even if a worker has been with me for 10 years and decide to leave and start his own business, he can never replicate the taste. My formula is unique to me and to replicate it is very difficult and I am not doing anything special and I cannot tell you why it is like that but everything is from God. Meanwhile, on May 29th, there will be what is called Tinubu Day at the restaurants in Abuja.
Why Tinubu Day? Are you a politician? Are your clients mainly politicians?
I’m not a politician but I like him. I don’t belong to any political party. I’m for everybody. Everybody that God has put in a position, I like them. If you are not there tomorrow, it doesn’t mean we are no longer friends. All calibre of people are our customers at Shagalinku. Presidents, governors, lawmakers have all eaten here. They come in with their aides and eat. Sometimes when they come in and I am not around, probably I am visiting one of our branches, my people will give me a call and I will give directives on what should be done. But in the Abuja branches, we play host to former governors, lawmakers, most times at night and the price is the same. The service is the same no matter who you are.
How did COVID-19 lockdown impact your business and what other challenges did you face?
During COVID-19, we were still in business and doing well. It was better than during the cash crunch when the CBN introduced the new naira notes. It was very difficult to get money, especially when you need to go to the market to stock up. During COVID-19, you could go to the bank and get money. You can go into a restaurant and eat what you want. You could go to the market and buy whatever you want. But during the cash crunch, it was a different ball game. We suffered too much but thank God everything has normalised.
How were you managing to run your restaurants during the cash crunch?
We shut down completely. We received calls from our customers that wanted to come and eat and asked why we shut down. I told them without cash I would not sell because we were also having difficulties buying things from the market. I got tired of hearing all the complaints and decided to close down.
So what happened to the foodstuff on ground before the change of naira notes?
Nothing, because most of what we use don’t go bad. Can rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil go bad? No! Only vegetables get spoilt and we don’t buy those in bulk. We buy new vegetables every day. We cook and sell fresh food; we don’t store food in the fridge and resell. That will be cheating.
You started this business in the 70s and under the military era. What era has been favourable to your business?
As far as I am concerned, the Abacha regime was a very good time for my business. I don’t know why, but that time I had money, business was moving. Even from the Villa they use to patronise us. His wife used to send people to come and buy plenty food from my restaurant even though they had everything there. She just liked our food.
Are your children involved in your business?
I have never involved my children in my business and I will never do so. Why? Because I don’t want them to come and show disrespect to either my customers or my workers and display arrogance that this is their father’s business. Even people from my hometown are not employed here. I don’t bring my brothers or sisters to my business, no! Go your way, do your thing, I will support you. I employ those I am not related or affiliated to so that when you misbehave I can sack you. I have many tribes working for me here, I have Igbos, Yorubas, Calabar and if you mess up, you are gone. No sentiments.
Do you cook different types of food here, because you said you have different tribes working for you?
No. We cook Hausa food. But if you come and say you prefer to swallow garri, we can send someone to buy for you and you eat with our own soup. Shagalinku is all about Hausa traditional food.
But what are your plans for the future? You are no longer young and there will come a time you might not be able to oversee this business. Are you not planning to train those you want to carry on?
Yes I am old. Are you getting younger yourself? What are your plans for your children? My children are well trained and are professionals in their own right. If they want to go into any business, I can support them with the capital.
I have only four children and a small boy and they are all educated. The eldest ones schooled in London up to masters level. They are doing what they want, but they are not permitted to come to my restaurant. I don’t allow them to know my work. If they like my line of work, they are free to open theirs with another name, not mine. Do your own thing and do it well. I was not taught; it’s just an interest that developed into a business.
Do you plan to retire anytime soon?
To retire for what? How can I retire? Unless I die. When I die, then I would have retired permanently. I am not a government worker. Why must I retire? You know there are some young people who are not as agile and active like me. It depends on how God gives you grace to live. Before God, no small boy or no old man. God can do whatever he wants with anybody.
Do you still have the same set of managers that started with you?
My best manager is Joshua. He has worked with me for more than 30 years and he is not from my state, and he is not even of the same faith with me. He is a Christian, I am a Muslim. He’s very nice and respectful. He has never cheated me. He has never done anything bad to me. Never.
What are the challenges of this business? Are you suffering double taxation or running generators, etc? And what will be your advice to the government, including the president-elect who is your friend?
I won’t ask him for anything, I just like him. I am not complaining. I have a good farm. All through the north, I have not seen any farm that can match mine. All the Agric ministers that have been appointed and the governors have visited my farm in Zaria. I constructed an earth dam and for the past 17 years, it’s been serving the business. The farm has a bridge, hall, water etc. We planted onions, oranges from where we get fresh juice among others.
How did you get the capital to do all these? Did you take a bank loan?
Bank loan for what? I have never collected a loan in all my life. I started small from my rented mud house and I had no plans to take big capital or something for business. As we grow, our capital grow also. You can take a loan and still fail in business and the creditors will come after you. When I started, I was selling between N250 and N300 per plate but today, at Shagalinku, a plate of food is N2,500. Today, I have supermarkets, restaurants, a farm and hotels. Some of the products from my farm we use for our restaurants like onions, orange from where we make fresh orange juice, plenty fish. I also have plenty local chicken but I am yet to start using them at the restaurants. We will harvest soon and sell to people that come from different places like Kano, Kaduna and Abuja, to buy.
How do you relax if you have to oversee all these businesses?
Rest? Nobody will rest till we die. But whenever I have the opportunity to travel to different European countries, America, I rest. I don’t spend more than one week and at most two weeks, I must return to my businesses.
What’s your advice to our young generation, many of whom prefer quick money?
Maybe their parents are rich; that’s why they don’t want to work hard. They want to be rich overnight, buy cars, etc. To get money, you must work hard. But it is not my business if you choose not to work hard, I have done my part and you will face the consequences of your action. I’m not a beggar, I will not go and beg you. I’m not a lazy man.
Has your line of business attracted any recognition to you?
I was given honorary doctorate degree by the Commonwealth of Nations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They came from London to decorate me because of my business. Our clientele include Europeans, Arabs and other different nationals.
What will be your advice to government to make business environment conducive especially for small businesses?
As far as I am concerned, government is trying its best. Government cannot do everything. For instance, you see some Nigerians with two, four, five, seven children. Maybe with the help of government, three will be employed. What happens to the rest? And yet people are still giving birth indiscriminately, even though they don’t have the means to take care of them. For instance, if I place an advert that I need to employ like 80 people, over 500 will turn up. Can I employ all of them? No! That’s why I said government is trying. Some of us might complain that they are not doing enough but that’s because you are not in government. They construct roads, tackle insecurity. We have the police and soldiers protecting us. Government is working, but they cannot do everything.
Is Shagalinku your name or the name of the business?
It is my name and it means enjoyment. Just to add, you can never go wrong with restaurant, hotel, supermarket business because people must patronise these places daily to meet their various needs.
You never took a loan but do you loan out money to people?
Why? I know I like money, so I will not loan anybody money. That is why I don’t sell on credit. All my workers are aware of this policy and if you default, you are sacked. But if you need my help and I can do it, why not?
