Ogunbade runs a bar in Bariga Lagos. She trained as a hairdresser but there were “five hairdressing salons” on every corner at Bariga, Lagos. So started selling beer from her living room. The business is so good she wants to keep running bars until old age.
“I started this business with just N7, 000 with my husband. I didn’t even have a shop when I started because there was no money to rent a shop.”
What is your name?
My name is Ogunbade Amos. I am from Olambe, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun state.
Tell us about your education.
I attended St. Paul’s Anglican primary school. Subsequently, I proceeded to Ilewo Community High School in Abeokuta. I grew up living with my father’s younger sister. My aunt was a food seller, and she was the one who ensured I had primary and secondary education.
After my secondary education, I had to earn a skill because there was no means for me to further my education. I learned hairdressing from my aunt’s friend. She owns a salon close to where we live. This made it easy for me to help my aunty every morning with her business. My boss was very understanding. She sometimes permitted me to resume at noon. My aunt had two sales girls working for her. This gave me enough time to focus on my training.
When did you come to Lagos?
Ogun State is a stone throw away from Lagos. Even when I was a young girl, I used to accompany my dad’s younger sister to Mile 12 Market every Saturday to buy foodstuffs because we could get them cheap when we bought in large quantities.
Each time we came to Lagos, my aunt’s shop assistants would watch over the stall and attend to customers. I later moved here fully when my husband got a job with one company in Lekki. We had to move down to Bariga because it was closer to his place of work. Although we have our own house in Ogun state, the stress of Lagos traffic and transport costs influenced our decision to move here. We visit our home in Ogun State often.
Where do you live and how much is your rent?
We live in a room self-contained with our son who recently gained admission into Lagos state university (LASU) to study accounting. We pay a rent of N130,000 yearly.
How did you start the bar business?
I thought about what to do when I moved to Bariga with my family. At first, I was braiding my neighbours’ hair for small money. I got more customers when people saw that I could braid very well and started charging more.
But people don’t make their hair every day. And there were too many hairdressers in Bariga. You find five hairdressing salons on every corner. The competition was too high. I started to think of something else to do. I discussed it with my husband and we decided I should open a bar.
Also Read: Working Lives: The Supervisor Who Resigned to Open a Beer Parlor
How much capital did you start with?
I started this business with just N7, 000 from my husband. I didn’t even have a shop when I started because there was no money to rent a shop. What I did with my husband was to stock our deep freezer with different brands of beer-Gulder, Stout, Heineken, etc., and other soft drinks like malt, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, bottled water, etc.
We were selling to our neighbours and to some of my husband’s friends and colleagues from the office who often come around to have a chat with him after work. Right from the comfort of our home, we were making money and from there we gathered money to rent a shop.
After paying for the shop, we bought chairs, tables, cups, fans, a television, a deep freezer, and other furniture to furnish the place. This cost us about N100,000. I already had sellers who supply me with drinks. I started making goat meat spiced with pepper and onion, beef, fish, catfish pepper soup, and ponmo to support my beer parlor business. People who come to drink enjoy having things to eat.
Who are your customers?
My customers are my neighbours, my husband’s colleagues from the office, and some church members who come here to relax. The area boys come here to drink and I always treat them well. Once you treat them well, they come again with more friends and their girlfriends. Sometimes I sell to them on credit, asking them to pay when they have money. We don’t discriminate here. Everyone is welcome to our bar. We have an inscription on the wall that says “come one, come all”.
When do you have the most customers – weekdays or weekends?
We have customers every day. There is no day we don’t have people to attend to. This is all thanks to God Almighty. I don’t open on Sundays. I go to church and relax at home after service on Sundays. My bar is always open from Monday to Saturday and I don’t lack customers on any day.
What’s the most popular brand of beer everyone buys?
Gulder from Nigerian Breweries Plc. That’s what our customers demand most. Then Trophy which is produced by International Breweries. Gulder and Heineken are drinks for big boys. People’s choice differs depending on their ability to hold their liquor and their pocket as well in terms of cash.
How many crates do you sell daily?
I sell nothing less than 10 -12 crates of drinks every day. That’s about 60–72 crates of drinks every week.
How much money do you make?
I make between N30,000-N35,000 daily. That’s from everything- drinks, pepper soup, meat, and fish.
How much profit do you make on each bottle?
It depends on the brand and where you are buying from. Small retailers like us cannot buy from the breweries. We buy from wholesalers. Depending on the brand, the profit on each bottle ranges from N80 to N150.
For how many hours do you work in a day?
I open my shop from 10 am and close at 11 pm. Sometimes, I stay beyond midnight. We don’t have any fixed time for closing, we only close when there are no customers to attend to. Many times I sleep in the bar just to monitor sales and to attend to customers.
Do you have customers who get drunk and misbehave?
Sometimes customers drink and get drunk. It happens in all bars. We can’t monitor how people drink. People sit around a table and you don’t know who is drinking too much when they order. Some people cannot hold their liquor but they join friends in drinking and drinking. They end up drinking beyond their personal capacity. They get drunk and embarrass themselves.
Also Read: Working Lives: This Bar Owner Who Wants Her Business To Become a Conglomerate
Are you a member of a union?
No. We don’t have any union.
If I wanted to open a bar, how do I start?
Beer parlour does not require huge capital to set up. You will be surprised at the rate at which your capital will grow. If you are interested in selling beer, I will advise you to start with any amount you have. So, you can start from your room and gradually until you can rent a shop.
How long have you been doing this and how much longer do you see yourself running a bar?
Nobody retires from their source of wealth when they know they can as well earn passively from it. I have been in this business for 10 years and I do not see myself retiring soon. Hence, even when I get old, I will get a manager who will watch over the store and deliver to me and I will pay him a salary. So, only death can make me retire.
Tell me about your dreams or plans to venture into something else.
The plan now is to open another shop. Really, I see myself having more than one shop. That is the plan for now. The beer parlor business is a good business. To conclude, it is not a stressful business, especially if you know what you are doing.
