Thai restaurant finds a niche in Mozambique
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Despite its distance from Thailand and the small number of Thai people in the country, a Thai woman has opened an authentic Thai restaurant in Maputo, the capital and largest city in Mozambique.
Jena Nuangniyom, owner of “InterThai” restaurant, started her business there with between $60,000 (Bt1.8 million) to $70,000. Now responsible for almost 20 employees, including Thai chefs and Mozambican waiters, she is very happy with the return on her investment.
Jena launched her restaurant business in Maputo only 10 years ago after marrying a local man. When the marriage ended in divorce, she decided to stay on in Mozambique and go into business.
With her cooking abilities and passion for authentic Thai cuisine, she has started InterThai restaurant, one of only three Thai restaurants in Maputo. She was also encouraged to open the restaurant by friends, who believed her friendly demeanour and skills as a cook would ensure the restaurant’s success.
According to Jena, Mozambique is home to a variety of differing cultures, traditions and tastes. As a result, the restaurant began as a place for all people to hang out and enjoy international cuisine. Today, however, the main dishes of the restaurant’s menu are well-known Thai specialities.
Many local and foreign customers regularly visit her restaurant, which currently serves up to 160 seated customers. About 60 per cent of them are locals and 40 percent foreigners.
Jena said establishing a business in Maputo was not as difficult as one might think. The Mozambican government allows foreign enterprises to own businesses by establishing joint-venture companies with local partners. An advantage was that most local people in Mozambique could communicate in English.
One drawback was that renting land in the capital could be expensive. The Mozambican government also requires foreign companies to employ locals on a basis of 10 locals to one foreign employee.
Jena said that in Mozambique it was possible to find similar produce to that used in Thailand for cooking Thai dishes. She was able to find Thai herbs, lime, and other ingredients, which were also cheaply priced. Other raw ingredients could also be purchased from a Chinese supermarket in Mozambique.
However, some Thai ingredients still needed to be imported by ship from South Africa. Produce imported from South Africa is subject to a 17-per-cent tariff.
