Ex-flight attendant finds money and purpose in chain of restaurants

Mister Wok directors Hussein Virani (L) and Karim Hadi (R) at their Kengen Apartments outlet on June 30, 2017. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG   

By ANNIE NJANJA

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Summary

• Mr Hadi, who was 37 at the time, had until then not thought much about retiring early or venturing into entrepreneurship.
• Opening the restaurant took goodwill from close business associates, one gave them Sh2 million worth of kitchen equipment for Sh90,000 after closing down his two restaurants.
• The chain makes about Sh7.5 million every month, with its outlets in Parklands and Capital Centre accounting for over half of the amount.

One morning 15 years ago, Karim Hadi was handed a pink sheet of paper by his employer; his decade-long stint working as an in-flight attendant for Kenya Airways had come to an unceremonious end.

Mr Hadi, who was 37 at the time, had until then not thought much about retiring early or venturing into entrepreneurship.

All he believed he was good at, and what he solely loved, was being of service to others at the airline.

The termination hit him hard. “We were expecting our second daughter in a couple of months. Our first born had just turned two,” the 52-year-old told Enterprise during an interview last week.

“The fact that I was one month shy of the 10-year mark at KQ disqualified me from exiting with all the perks. I was left pondering what to do next, how to pay my bills and take care of my young family.”

Mr Hadi resolved not to wallow in self pity for long. He picked himself up and started selling mobile phone airtime vouchers for a commission while he racked his brain for a long-term job.

He settled on opening a restaurant. He partnered with his brother, Hussein Virani, and in mid 2004 they opened the first Mister Wok branch, a Chinese cuisine restaurant, at Capital Centre on Mombasa Road.

Mr Virani was a part-time partner as he was still employed elsewhere. “My brother had the skills needed to make this dream a reality, he is the risk-taker and capable of making decisions that I am too cautious to take. I needed his skills to thrive in this business,” said Mr Hadi.

Opening the restaurant took goodwill from close business associates, one gave them Sh2 million worth of kitchen equipment for Sh90,000 after closing down his two restaurants.

Mr Virani recalled when they got their first set of furniture, four tables and 16 chairs, on credit and paying off slowly until the debt was cleared.

The 48- year- old also hang up his boots in 2012 — during the chain’s 10th anniversary — as the CEO of an IT firm based in Nairobi— to dedicate his full attention to growing the chain.

Today, Mister Wok has grown into a chain of five outlets, amazingly with three branches having been opened in the last one year.

The other outlets are located at Two Rivers, Parklands, Cider Mall Nanyuki and the Hub in Karen.

The biggest takes up 2,000 square feet of space and is able to host 80 people at a time.

The chain makes about Sh7.5 million every month, with its outlets in Parklands and Capital Centre accounting for over half of the amount.

The chain employs over 80 people and the number is set to rise. Chinese cuisine was not an accidental decision.

They settled on it owing to their exposure to the food from an early age.

“We grew up eating Chinese food and it was only natural to sell what we have always enjoyed,” said Mr Virani.

“Developing the perfect menu took a lot of research and experimenting, but the preferred items became clearer as the business grew. That way, we were able to know what customers really wanted.”

The directors said growing the business has taken a lot of sacrifice from their end and ploughing back profits. They plan to open a new branch in Eldoret.

When the directors are not busy at a meeting closing a business deal, they are included on the restaurant’s duty rota.

It is not surprising to find the directors mopping floors, washing dishes or serving customers.

“We work as a team and share responsibilities, the rota ensures that every person has a feel of all departments and that is also the best way for them to know what they are best at,” said Mr Hadi