Startup Story
Saajidah Esat and her sister Mubinah are the co-founders of Zen Cafe in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Having being brought up in an Indian home, where the focus was always around food, they spent most of their time whipping up new recipes and cooking for the family. They first ventured into the food industry while living and studying in South Africa. They sold food at a popular Johannesburg food market and catered for several corporate events. Zen Cafe was born out of a desire to create and bring something different to the Zimbabwean market. The cafe employs 6 full time staff, including the 2 sisters and has been in operation for the past 6 months.
LoA spoke to Saajidah Esat about the vision for the business and the entrepreneurial journey undertaken so far.
What does your company do?
Zen Cafe is a small cafe that specializes in great coffee and delicious food. All of our food is infused with Indian flavors, making it unique and tasty. We are the first cafe in Bulawayo to offer Indian dishes on our menu. From an Indian breakfast to a flavor bursting butter chicken and naan, as well as homemade Indian tea, our customers are kept engaged and always coming back for more. We have a strong focus on customer service and training, expecting each drink and meal to be made with the highest quality ingredients and given to each customer with warmth and care. Our love for great food comes through in each meal that is served from Zen Cafe. Our crisp and modern setting is a beautiful escape from the busy city and is conveniently located in the leafy Suburbs of Bulawayo.
“Our first few months were challenging and we encountered so many problems. Going into our 6th month now, we are more resilient and able to overcome whatever comes our way.”
What inspired you to start your company?
We wanted to create a space where people could connect with each other through the love of good food. Our passion for teaching and learning makes it possible for us to empower our employees, and our growth mindset gives us the ability to keep improving our products and services.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
The unique flavors and spices we use in each dish makes our food irresistible. And our strong focus on continuous growth and improvement gives us the edge, in a market of 10 year+ established coffee shops/restaurants.
“We would love to see Zen Cafe continue to grow and expand into new markets, both locally and internationally. We would love for our team to grow and improve their skills and abilities.”
Tell us a little about your team
We have a small team of 6 comprising of 2 kitchen staff, 1 barista, 1 waiter and ourselves, the founders. 2 of our staff joined our team with the relevant experience, however the other 2 were trained and coached by the founders. Mubinah’s main role is curating the cooked food menu, while Saajidah supervises and oversees the bakery. Both of us are involved in the daily operations of the business, marketing, managing the accounts, staff wellness and strategic planning in the business.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
We have always wanted to start our own business and while studying, ventured into the food industry. We do come from an entrepreneurial background as our family own businesses in other sectors. However, we have failed many times and were not in any way given privileges or resources to start Zen Cafe. We are a self-funded enterprise
“We just want our customers to fall in love with their Zen experience and keep coming back for more.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We would love to see Zen Cafe continue to grow and expand into new markets, both locally and internationally. We would love for our team to grow and improve their skills and abilities.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Spreading happiness and joy. Food is love and love is food. We just want our customers to fall in love with their Zen experience and keep coming back for more.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Have patience! Our first few months were challenging and we encountered so many problems. Going into our 6th month now, we are more resilient and able to overcome whatever comes our way.
Don’t make it only about the money! If we wanted to make money right from the beginning, we would probably have quit. Keep giving value, the money will follow.
Grow yourself to grow your business. Keep investing in yourself through reading great books, listening to podcasts and becoming more self-aware. Your business can only grow to the extent that you do.
Contact or follow Zen Cafe
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL zencafezim@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
Harness a strength, a passion, a skill-set, and you have potentially the basis for a good business, and that’s exactly what Saajidah Esat and her sister and co-founder Mubinah have done with Zen Cafe. Today their business is creating great food experiences for customers in Bulawayo, and creating the opportunity for them as founders to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa