Company Name:	Rafikis
Location:	United Kingdom, London, UK
Services/Products:	Catering, South African food
Contact Number:	01727844999
Website:

 

 

What is Rafiki's?
Rafiki's is a brand that we have developed specifically to bring gourmet foods to the UK and European markets from South Africa. Bunnychow® is the first of these products.
What is Bunnychow®?
The original Bunny Chow is a popular South African curry served, in that country, in the same unique way since the 1940's until today.

No-one is quite sure of Bunny Chow's origin but it is generally agreed that it comes from the era when restaurants were not allowed to seat African patrons. There were no such things as disposable plates or cutlery in those days but an enterprising restaurateur hollowed out a loaf of bread and, using it as a bowl, filled it with curry. The name 'Bunny' is thought to derive from the word banias meaning shopkeepers (as in 'shopkeeper's food') or bhunia (a distinctive Gujarat-style of cooking).

Bunny Chow has stood the test of time, spreading across the social spectrum of the rainbow nation ... still being served and eaten in the same way today as it was all those years ago.

So what makes Rafiki's different?
We bring you a healthy, wholesome food quickly, with the aim of being as environmentally friendly as possible.

Bunny Chow is traditionally eaten without cutlery, this is a food with no polystyrene involved, no plastic ... no excess rubbish.

As Bunny Chow was new to the UK market we held some tasting sessions. These sessions were positively received and, as the way of eating it is different, there was lots of excitement. We are often asked to provide a fork or spoon. There are several reasons why we don't:

historically it has been eaten with just the fingers - as one of our aims is to bring you the genuine experience, we think it is all part of the fun
we have found that once our customers 'get it' they enjoy the whole finger eating thing
since it is often a social food, people don't mind tearing in (literally) with their own fingers when sharing a meal, whereas it is not good to share a spoon
there is less litter and waste

The fact that our Bunnychow® is popular is unquestionable. Those who have historically had the opportunity to try this food in South Africa love our recipe and those who are trying it for the very first time become surprisingly passionate about it.

Some other Rafiki's offerings
RUSK - A light dough that is baked until crisp. Wonderful for dunking in a hot drink it is a favourite at tea-time or when you want to indulge yourself, or have coffee with a friend, or keep the kids happy or before bed, or first thing in the morning...or just anytime! Sometimes contain dried fruit, muesli or other flavouring ingredients.

KOEKSISTERS - A sweet platted pastry, dipped in syrup this is a real treat. Brought to South Africa by the Europeans, the recipe is very labour intensive. This didn't seem to deter the housewives when, traditionally, they gathered in someone's kitchen to share the task while catching up with the latest news.

BOEREWORS - (Farmer's sausage) is a spicy sausage affectionately known by locals as 'boeries' it is an irresistible favourite on the 'Braai' (B-B-Q). It is an inheritance from the pioneers who combined meat with spices and vinegar, each housewife closely guarding their own recipe. So irresistible is the smell of cooking boerewors that, today, some clever shopkeepers place a braai outside their door and draw people in with the spicy aroma of the cooking Boerewors.

Our Vehicle
The delivery vehicle is unique because we have created it. It is built on a scooter which means it is also more environmentally friendly than traditional delivery vehicles.

How did Rafiki's Bunnychow® come about?

The origin of our idea came from an obscure conversation regarding South African foods several years ago (Sue had lived in SA for 17 years). From this conversation a niggly idea about bringing a new food to the UK that had been sitting at the back of Mike's head for some time started to blossom into a desire to create a successful business.

The Eureka moment was when they realised that this food could be put together with the ‘stop me and buy one' concept in an environmentally friendly way.

The two of them, both suffering in the doldrums of employment, decided to take the idea forward. The rest is history.

The Pod development story

There were three critical aspects that came together in Mike's original vision. Firstly the product - Bunnychow; secondly the attributes of licensing for a mobile unit and lastly the mobile unit itself.

Inspiration struck close to home where he saw a disabled lady in a customized three wheel moped carrying her sausage dogs in a custom basket on the back.

After contacting the manufacturers of this vehicle the process was begun to create a concept.

Through the generosity in time of all participants, the skill of individual craftsmen in metalwork, fiberglass, engineering, electrical and mechanics the result is The Prototype Pod.

Franchising Information:
You may be wondering why we have put all this effort into encapsulating the business, rather than getting straight out there and just doing it.

It has been our intention from the outset to release this business concept to the public and grow the distribution via franchising. We are a designer franchise. As such we believe we bring a stronger concept forward than the traditional route to franchising.

That is why we have spent so much time planning the whole concept, documenting it and doing things right from the start.

This business is ideal for the following types of investor

- the owner operator

who has a personal enthusiasm for the market
who is looking for a replacement income
who wants the excitement and challenge of running their own business but the security of something proven

- the manager operator

is probably a businessman already
has more money to invest and knows what to expect
who buys the license for a larger area
who employs the operators for more than one pod or location

- the geographical area or country license

purchased by an existing business or group or investors
setup from scratch modeling our operations
licensed to sell on and profit from franchises within their area