The pop-up idea taking a bite out of restaurant business

Nicole McMahon(Left), owner of Nook Cafe in Hurlingham, Nairobi and Muthoni (Right) during interview [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

NAIROBI, KENYA: Although pop-up restaurants are not a new phenomenon – the concept dates back to the 1960s – the idea has seen a resurgence internationally in the last few years.

As the name suggests, a pop-up restaurant is an eatery that appears in an unexpected location for a brief period of time.

Because of their unpredictable nature, these restaurants often develop a cult following as diners have to follow their movements online and make reservations accordingly.

Nicole McMahon, 35, is the founder of Pop-Up Nairobi, and she fills us in on what it’s been like to introduce this trendy experience in Kenya.

How did you come to be involved in the food industry?

I worked in hospitality while I pursued my degree course. I’m Australian and studied aerospace engineering in Australia before eventually graduating in international business.

During my studies, I worked as a barista, waitress and bartender, and then I moved to Canada and the US, where I was a cook and barista. From there, I went to China where I bartended a few nights a week while completing an internship. I worked in my ‘career’ for four years in Australia before moving to Kenya in 2012.

I’d never thought of hospitality as a serious career option, but I found I missed it, so I started cooking as a hobby.

People then started asking if they could book me for catering gigs – and I ended up with a registered company, staff and a loyal following.

How did you decide on the concept of Pop-Up Nairobi?  

I worked with a really great NGO that dealt with HIV care and treatment for 12 months. My next position wasn’t as fulfilling, so during this time, I started Pop-Up Nairobi.

I would organise brunches where my friends would help out as staff, and we would serve Australian-style brunch, taking over cafés that were closed on Sundays. We all had jobs, so we did it for fun, donating profits to education-based organisations.

I never sat down with a business plan – I probably should now – everything just evolved.

My first event was at a tiny café with four tables, and we ended up with customers eating out of their cars. I remember one order docket read ‘car boot’ and another ‘man in red shirt under tree’. We sold 100 meals that day, and raised Sh70,000 for scholarships. Muthoni Drummer Queen came to my second brunch and asked me to cook at her event, Blankets & Wine.

I met up with Wycliffe of Kito International and asked if he’d have some graduates interested in learning hospitality. After conducting interviews and having a trial cooking day, four of his team members joined me.

We ended up cooking for Blankets & Wine, Rift Valley Music Festival, Sondeka Festival, built a pop-up café at Pawa254 and Nairobi Garage, and started our monthly Supper Club.

I registered my company, and consult regularly with Brown’s Cheese, I’ve been a guest chef at Talisman, and created menus and trainings for Lewa House, Sala’s Camp and Tiramisu Bakery.

Muthoni Gathwe, who was the office assistant from my second job in Kenya, worked for me part-time but was looking for something permanent, so we started ‘Pop-Up at Home’.

The concept was that you can order delicious food for your freezer to fulfil your craving for things you generally can’t get in Kenya. We make things like pierogi, empanadas and bitterball.

How does Nook Café fit into the pop-up restaurant idea?

A servant’s quarter in Nairobi’s Hurlingham came up for rent a month later, and we both realised we could build a café there.

The concept of Nook is to have different cuisine each week. We are open three days a week – Thursday, Friday and Sunday – which gives us time to try new recipes and for me to pass on my food knowledge. 

When did you begin operations?

Our first brunch event was in March 2014, which was all on a volunteer basis. Pop-Up Nairobi was registered in December 2014, and Nook opened in November last year.

What did you need to set up?

When we were only doing the brunches, we used the equipment in the spaces we took over, so I only needed to find staff and buy the ingredients. We started as a very basic business.

For our first for-profit event, I ordered two branded tables and purchased two gas cookers. Everything else was from my own kitchen. As we made profit, we purchased more items dedicated to Pop-Up.

Do you think your business model is sustainable or do you foresee yourself having to make adjustments in the future?

I think the business is very sustainable. The café has been profitable since day one as we started with only what we needed, so we’ve never gone into debt. I think too many restaurants want to open with everything perfect and shiny, but then they have the stress of debt.

What restaurants have you partnered with or taken over, and how did you convince them to get on board?

We started at Café Rouge on Ring Road Kilimani. It was quite amazing. I mentioned I was looking for a space to run brunch, and they just offered it. They even gave me the keys to the café!

I think because the profits were being donated, people saw it as a good idea and it brought a different clientele to see their space, albeit with my menu. We have also taken over Pete’s Café, Café Ubuntu, Casual Bite Café, Amani ya Juu and The Wine Shop.

Why is philanthropy such a big part of your business?

It’s how the business started out. I think education is the way to improve society, so this is what I focused on. We, however, no longer donate all our profits as we have wages, rent and other costs.

Which organisations have benefited from Pop-Up Nairobi?

We’ve donated money to Milami School, Tunapanda Institute, ROCK in Kibera, Amani Ya Juu, CTC International, PACE Kenya and the American School of South Sudan.

Where do you see yourself and your company five years from now?

In five years’ time, I hope to have graduates from our training programme working across East Africa.

I want exceptional service to be the standard instead of the unexpected. Kenyans have a very hospitable culture, if only every restaurant was run like it was someone’s home, where you are welcomed with chai and meals even if you’ve just eaten.

I would love to see consistency and attention to detail from staff empowered to have pride and ownership in their work.