Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to CARASAI IHENTUGE. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, CARASAI thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
YumVillage as an entity was started by my brother Chef Godwin, based in Detroit MI. YumVillage is a unique combination of family roots and life experiences. African raised, but locally MADE.
We combine the best local ingredients to meet a surging demand for diverse food options at affordable prices. Mixing traditional African and Caribbean flavors with an American flare you can try our Maafe stew over fresh cut fries, or a jerk chicken.
We know this would be a worth while endeavor based on our 1st year in Detroit.
We are built for growth. The YumVillage model unites three of the fastest growing industry trends in food; all of which saw double digit growth in the past five years: quick casual dining, food delivery and pre-packaged goods. We hold an average transaction price of $15.00 per person beverage not included. And just last year we served over 10,000 meals on our food truck alone operating only on weekends during the summer.
Not only will be fast and offer delivery but 20 % of our Menu is Crowd Sourced. #HashTag #VoteYumVillage. We’ll be serving our community an African Caribbean inspired Version of whatever they’d like to see on our menu for catering options. Can you say #SweetPotatoWontons #MaafeFries
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Carasai Ihentuge, the brother of Chef Godwin. I run the YumVillage Cleveland location & I get started in the food industry by being a natural Foodie at heart. I am Nigerian, so I did grow up eating all the delicious food you see on our menu. I’ve worked in executive management in the pass so the transition of owning/operating my own business was a very smooth transition. The only hurdle to overcome is the up/down structure of the restaurant industry. You’ll have to go into it knowing that there will be some slower months along with some busier months. It is a certain mindset to overcome.
What sets us about from others & I am most proud of is that we do a West African fusion of Caribbean. All of our meat is Halal & YumVillage features meats like Jerk Chicken, Jerk Oxtails, Curry Goat & etc, Also, about 75% of our menu is vegan.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Technology is a key factor is todays world. We use Square POS for all of our in-store & online transactions. In return this helps us keep in touch w/ our clients in just a click. Customers are also welcome to sign up from Brand Loyalty rewards building an even stronger bond between the business & the customer.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Be nice to everyone but do not become anyones friend. Show your team how to do a task, then observe as your team does these tasks. Shape/mold/critique your team as you evolve. This helps build a strong, trustable team because you’ve been in the process w/ them the entire time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.YumVillage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yumvillagecle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YumVillageCLE
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carasai
- Twitter: @YumVillageCLE
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yum-village-cleveland