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A recently opened Steers fast foods outlet along 8th Avenue in Bulawayo

Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
BULAWAYO is recording a boom in the food industry with more fast foods outlets opening shop in the city centre at a time when the manufacturing sector is crumbling.
A snap survey by Business Chronicle has shown that more investment has been directed to opening food outlets, which target low income earners.

Each day fast foods outlets are a hive of activity with members of the public queuing for meals especially during lunch periods.
The recent entrance of new players; Slice Pizzeria, Chicken Taste, Chip ‘n’ Roll and Steers, among others, has excited consumers who now enjoy the benefits of increased competition.

Established firms such as Nando’s, Golden Grill, Food Express, Roy’s Kitchen, Emlanjeni, McInn, Chicken Inn, Dickies, Sis Bee and Café Mnandi, now have to compete with the new comers.

In a bid to keen their clients’ closer, seasoned players are also busy opening new branches across the city centre while others are rolling out upgrading programmes.

Supermarkets such as Choppies, OK and TM have joined the race and are now offering fast food services alongside restaurants.
Chicken Taste owner, Abby Ncube, said he opened shop three months ago and was already recording increased clientele from 100 people a day to 250. “The response has been overwhelming, the number of people that buy our food increases every day,” he said.

Ncube said he ventured into the food market after realising that people were willing to part with their income for food better than any product.

“I noticed that people can part with their money to purchase food. Property and clothes come secondary. I decided to target the sector that brings money,” he added.

“By year end, we hope to open new branches in Bulawayo, later on in Harare if business keeps going well.”
Xolani Dube, owner of Slice Pizzeria, an outlet that opened about nine months ago, said competition in the sector was very                     stiff.
“I didn’t venture into the business to compete but the competition is indeed stiff. Even with such conditions we manage to have at least 50 customers a day,” he said.

The bid to outdo each other has resulted in increased competition for taste with some players hiring chefs from outside the country while others are opting to serve traditional foods.

Steers opened shop two months ago and scores of customers have been seen frequenting their shop for food.
With increased competition price has become a huge factor with outlets offering meals from as low as one dollar with the most expensive at around $20.

The outlets have set up entertainment facilities in the form of music, huge flat screen television sets and well upholstered furniture to keep the customer comfortable.