In this episode of Build Your Own Business, Hachi sits down with Feranmi Ajetomobi, co-founder of Ni Fries, the Lagos-based food brand famous for its suya burgers.Feranmi’s story is one of grit, reinvention, and tough lessons. He dropped out of university in 2013 to start a food business with akara burgers, only to face financial collapse and theft. Years later, during the COVID lockdowns, he experimented at home, put suya in a burger, and struck gold. With a mix of creativity and community-driven marketing, Ni Fries has grown into one of Lagos’s most talked-about food brands.But it hasn’t been easy. From stolen cash and rogue staff, to navigating Lagos logistics and dealing with landlords, Feranmi shares what it really takes to build a food business in Nigeria.You’ll learn:How Feranmi went from dropping out of school to building Ni FriesThe mistakes of “over-trading” and how food businesses lose money without knowing itWhy inventory management is life-or-death in foodHow a stolen ₦1M nearly ended everything in year oneThe birth of the suya burger during COVID lockdownsHow influencers and community growth hacks put Ni Fries on the mapWhy partnerships and shared kitchens are key to survival in LagosLessons on staff theft, operations, and protecting your margins⏱ Timestamps03:41 – Dropping out of school to start a food business07:15 – Losing almost ₦1M in stolen cash11:25 – Discovering “over-trading” and food business math15:44 – Restarting during COVID lockdown with home experiments19:02 – The birth of the suya burger23:28 – Growth hacks: sending burgers to micro-influencers29:55 – The logistics nightmare of Lagos deliveries35:12 – Staff betrayal: when your ops manager steals from you41:09 – Inventory management as the #1 survival skill46:25 – Partnerships, shared kitchens & reducing risk52:33 – Advice for young food entrepreneurs🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow Ni Fries on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ni_fries/ Visit Oze: https://bit.ly/ozespDownload the Oze App: https://oze.app.link/PmjG6GOg2Vb Oze Business School: https://bit.ly/spobs👉 If you’re a food entrepreneur or dreaming of starting a restaurant, this episode is packed with unfiltered lessons on money, logistics, and resilience. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real stories from African entrepreneurs.

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