Nasser studied Oil and Gas Management from the University of Plymouth, UK and coming back home, to Uganda, was unable to identify a gap that his degree could address.
With the vibrancy of the Kampala night life, he identified a need: there was a huge demand for quality and affordable food for Ugandans seeking to recharge from the hustle and bustle of nightlife, and this led to the birth of Krustys Fast Food in 2015.
Krustys Fast Food creates memorable experiences with their signature burgers and various fast-food cuisines that combine quality and accessibility.
Unique Feature: Quality and Accessibility
Nasser is working to change the perception that fast food in East Africa is for the wealthy. He does this by delivering first-class and affordable cuisines that are accessible to all and creates a loyalty system where customers can gain points and save money in long-term.
“There was a time when I had 800 people surrounding our food truck, immense traffic and excitement as there was a buzz about the ‘new’ place in Kampala.”
Saving Money by Going Green
Investing profits back into the business was paramount for Krustys Fast Food as they focused on raising the quality of their food and going further by seeking financially sustainable options to operate such as: switching to solar panels from generators that needed constant maintenance and repair.
Challenges
Building an independent team that can run the business in Nasser’s absence is yet to be realised. Despite challenged, Nasser is optimistic acknowledging that whenever he does experience a challenge or failure, he learns.
Stepping Up the Gas
In need of a massive scale-up , Nasser joined the GrowthAfrica accelerator programme where his perspective was shifted, turning the pandemic from a problem to an opportunity to innovate, analyse customer behaviours, looking at their pains, possible opportunities and the importance of using online data from their website as a tool for strategic planning.
“I am glad that we were on the GrowthAfrica programme, and that is where I thought out of the box, stopped grieving my situation and look at different opportunities.”
Three months in, Nasser looked at the programme as a prime hub that prepared entrepreneurs for investment readiness. The Krustys Fast Food founder experienced industry mentorship and learnt from founders of fast-food industry giants within the East African region.
“Many entrepreneurs joining the programme would be interested in getting investment, but at the end of the day…if you give an entrepreneur money without the knowledge…you are going to lose that money.”
Krustys Fast Food believes that with the right partnership and investment, they will be able to realise this dream within Eastern Africa. They continue to receive business support from the GrowthAfrica SME Growth Advisors.
Next Step
As Krustys Fast Food celebrates five years of delivering quality products and services in Uganda, they are setting up the biggest cloud kitchen in East Africa. Cloud kitchens are food concept enablers that provide logistical support by providing real estate, proprietary technology, logistics and fulfilment and facilities management. This technology is being applied already in the United states and gives business owners opportunity to minimise cost and maximise profit.
