Today we’d like to introduce you to Kehinde Komolafe.
Hi Kehinde, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
It all started in 2016, when I and my daughter moved to the US to be with my husband. I had just left my job that I was very passionate about (working in the public service in Nigeria) and decided to start afresh with my young family supporting me.
I arrived in May of 2016 and it didn’t take me long (after talking with working mums, singles, and young couples) how difficult it was for them to provide quality, home-cooked Nigerian food for themselves or families day after day due to the fact that it took too much time to prepare an average Nigerian Dish. This lack of quality, home-cooked meals became a real issue where the husbands either longed for good food and the children started developing poor eating habits that affected their growth and overall, wellbeing. This situation brought some concern to myself being a Mum and to the new friends I had come to know.
Seeing this was a growing problem with no solution in sight, I decided to fix this the only way I could – drawing on my innate passion for hospitality, I began to cook and deliver quality, home-cooked meals that were affordable to these working mums, singles and young families so they can eat healthy, save their marriages and improve the overall health and wellbeing of their children.
Starting out I had no capital saved, but I have an outstanding and extremely supportive husband who decided to take a chance on my new venture and provided the necessary resources to cover any initial purchases and Honey-Dip Fingerz was born.
I started cooking and delivering orders to individuals, taking orders over the phone, and delivering as promised. I listened to what my clients wanted and adjusted flavor, spice intensity, and tenderness of the proteins tailored to every individual’s needs. I accepted constructive criticism when it was given and this only made the us better. Slowly but surely the referrals started coming in from new and existing customers and we moved from individual orders to party/event catering which required a lot more planning, attention to detail, and capacity (human and material).
Today we have delivered meals to over 10,000 customers both individual & corporate events and have a website for taking online orders: www.honeydipfingers.com.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has definitely given me a mixed bag of smooth sails and rough patches. Some of the notable challenges include getting the right talent to support in the kitchen and the back office. In the midst of an increasing demand for quality home-cooked meals, it has been extremely difficult to find willing hands, ready to cook. I have worked around this with the help of my supportive husband who has been a pillar of support.
Another challenge we have faced is getting the right type of ingredients to prepare certain entrees on our menu. We have had to source our raw materials from Nigeria and that increases the cost of procurement, however, this ensured we didn’t compromise on the quality we have set as a standard and our customers can attest to the consistency in taste and quality of the meals delivered.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a self-taught Chef, Caterer, and Food Service Professional that prepare meals for individuals, families, Corporate Events, Parties, etc. My specialty is African cuisine particularly from West Africa – Nigeria which consists of a wide variety of meals from Entrée such as Jollof Rice, Fried Rice, Soups such as Efo Riro, Egusi, Designer Stew (Ayamase), and Appetizers such as Puff-Puff, Battered Shrimp and Peppered Gizzard. I am mostly known for my Signature Entrée – Nigerian Jollof Rice which tastes absolutely fantastic! This dish wakes up all your five senses. Most of my clients love it and tout it as the best they have ever had.
I am very proud of the fact that God has deposited such great talent in me and I am using it to solve one pervasive problem most people deal with – how to get quality, home-cooked meals on their dinner tables, events small and large without having to do it themselves.
One way we have set Honey-dip Fingerz apart is in the quality of the meals produced using organic, farm-fresh ingredients. We are passionate about going above and beyond for our clients and adapting every meal to the specification of the customer. I take utmost care in doing this because I believe we are what we eat and it is important to eat well and stay healthy.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the opportunities the city provides for people to connect indoors and outdoors. This enables people to create beautiful memories and share a meal or two. I also love the diversity of cultures, tastes, and food perspectives that it provides. Finally, I love my client base, the vast majority of African Americans who love to indulge in Nigerian Cuisine at any given opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Email: honeydipfingers@gmail.com
- Website: https://honeydipfingers.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/honeydipfingerz?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Suraj Jinadu Photos
