My restaurant’s name is Dine With Neo. I’m currently running a cloud kitchen – a takeaway outlet that provides no dine-in facility. It operates as a restaurant on Uber Eats, so we only do deliveries for now. Our food is made for everyone who craves a warm home-cooked meal.
I have created a small menu that focuses on South African food. I cook everything myself, with the assistance of my sous chef.
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The idea for the restaurant started when I’d share my recipes on Instagram, and thousands of people would use them and enjoy the food. I saw a gap that could be filled for those who didn’t have time to cook at home. It’s an opportunity for everyone to dine with me. I love it when everyone gets to taste my food, whether they’re preparing it from my recipes or ordering from my restaurant.
The biggest challenge was finding the right space. Cloud kitchens are taboo in Joburg, which was a big hurdle for me. I had to keep looking until I found the perfect space.
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The business is self-funded. It wasn’t easy, as I had to get everything up and running in less than four weeks.
My passion for cooking was inspired by my mother and aunts. Growing up, I’d watch them cook and wanted to imitate them! A I grew older, I started incorporating their ideas and recipes into mine, and magic happened.
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My advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is: don’t be scared to take risks! You will never get much done unless you do. You might fail or succeed – the beauty is that failure comes with lessons and knowledge. Keep trying until you find something that works for your vision.
