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Meet buxom ebony beauty, Hannah Fatokun Adetutu, who is a food vendor and CEO of Emmanade Foods N More,

Specialist in jollof rice, Fried rice,White rice, Ofada, Swallows, Ewa goin and Bread, Hannah was born into a family of 8; 3 boys and 3 girls, with parents from Imeko Afon.

Emmanade Foods N More began from the kitchen in the house with soup orders for people on request and running deliveries, along with birthday packs and all, since about 4, 5 years ago, until Hannah thought about making it a daily thing that will bring in daily money, which brought about setting up the restaurant. Read and digest the conversation between FIXIT-Nigeria and Hannah- Emmanade

Fixit.ng: Tell us about yourself and Emmanade Foods

Emmanade: I was born in this Lagos, Akilo precisely, grew up in Meiran Alagbado, moved to Abuleegba.
Had my primary Education at Ritlad Nursery & Primary School- Meiran, and junior secondary school education at IJJSS, senior secondary at Greenfield college, and finally got admission with Osun state polytechnic where I had my ND, after that processed my BSc at Open University and then certifications and all, still in the process.
Food has been my passion from when I was small. I like cooking, and people around me can testify to that. While I was in school, in the hostel I'll just ask everybody 'okay what are we eating today, let's just do a collaboration and I'll handle the cooking'. They know it's my thing, cooking is something I find pleasure in doing and that has actually made it easy

Fixit: How has the journey been?

Emmanade: First of all its been GOD, and passion is second.
The truth is, it's tasking, stressful, but the passion keeps one going, when you venture into something you dont have passion for, you'll be frustrated out of it.
Tasking in the sense that, you have to do some deliveries within short periods. Stress, before you cook this, cook that, waking up early to meet up with people that are going to work, schools, to deliver to them. My alarm rings for 5.30am, we are awake, so in 30minutes, we must be done, by 6 o'clock we leave the house, and 6.30 we are here.

Fixit: How do you intend to influence Nigerian cuisine?

Emmanade: In my own way, we can influence the economy by 1. Many people are actually in this business for the money part of it. Money is actually good but should not be priority. Give people what is edible, what is good for their body is most important, you shouldn't for moneymaking sake give people rubbish, on my own part, I believe in giving people what is edible, and affordable because of the economy, that they should be satisfied with whatever they're buying with even little amount. Such that you can walk in with whatever you have and still eat to satisfaction.


Fixit: What makes Emmanade stand out

Emmanade: The taste, I dont know if you understand that kind of homely taste, when you grab a bite and feel like 'I'm at home'. The good homely taste of it makes all the difference.

Fixit: What's Emmanade's Overall brand vision

Emmanade: My vision is not just about food, it's a mandate mixed with career, to feed the belly, and feed the souls as well, an Avenue to tell people about Christ, chip in one or two words of encouragement, like in the process of feeding the belly you feed the soul. People want to eat first before you can tell them anything.

Fixit: Plans for expanding

Emmanade: Yeah, of course everybody wants to expand in business now, no one wants to be on a spot and not progress. So there are plans of expansion and I know that with GOD it is doable.

Fixit: What is Your Exclusive testimony

Emmanade: I'll give you two out of many. The first is, when I actually had plans to set up the restaurant there was no funds, I can remember, early this year, i was like 'GOD, I want to be out of salary job and I dont know how you're going to do it for me but I want to have my restuarant'. I wasn't even prepared for it but I put agents into action, concerning what I need. I prayed about the direction and GOD gave me the location. When I got the place, this space is what I prayed and there was a go ahead. That's why we are here now. All the resources started coming, one thing I say is, once there is no plan or date attached to something there might not be realization of that thing. I already prayed about it that by June, everything should be done, everything started conforming to it and by June to the glory of GOD, we did the opening of the restaurant.

My second testimony is I got a job that I didn't sweat for, there was no referral, it was just a walk in customer that just ate and liked the food, and 'I'd like you to cater for my daughter's wedding'. Initially when we were having that conversation I was like 'well it's one of those people that tell you what they want to do', not until the person came back and actually dropped money for it and I knew that this is actually GOD in action. No referral, just someone that came in to eat saying 'if your regular food can be like this, your party food will be wow'. That was how the deal was done.
I specially give thanks to GOD for these two testimonies. The salary job wasn't frustrating but I believe in having my own business. I want to employer of labour too. Not because I want to feel like a boss or anything similar but I have a vision to push and there's a space for me in the market too. Salary job wasn't giving me satisfaction. I wanted to be out and do a 'thing' for myself.

Fixit: If not Emmanade, what would you be doing?

Emmanade: If not Emmanade, maybe I'd still be in my salary job, probably working and not being satisfied. When you are no longer finding fulfillment in what you are doing you'll be frustrated. I might not be seeing much now because we are still in the startup level but there's a feeling of satisfaction because it is what I like to do. If I'm to equate it to my salary then I might say it is not upto but I find satisfaction and that alone is okay for me.

Fixit: How did the name 'Emmanade' come about?

Emmanade: Emmanade is a long long story but the summary of it all is what brought about the name was a different thing from the onset. But along the line GOD changed it, gave me a better meaning for it. Since you ask, its 3 names put together to form the brand name. First name is Emmanuel, second is Hannah, and third is Adetutu. Emmanuel meaning GOD with us, then Hannah and Adetutu is my name. GOD with Hannah in this business will go global.

Fixit: Advice to Entrepreneurs

Emmanade: My advice is speak to GOD first about whatever you want to do. There is nothing I dont talk to GOD about, no matter what. There's no tiniest thing I dont talk to GOD about. Every detail is important, you have to carry GOD along with it. Aside passion, passion is not enough, there is time for everything, there might be time to launch and time to still wait, you know the market is competitive, there might be time GOD is actually setting you for, to hold on for the time HE wants to launch you into the business. So if you go faster than GOD you might be frustrated out of it. So you must understand timing. That's why I say you can not out rule GOD, because me as a person cant out rule GOD in whatever I want to do because I understand the Impact of GOD, I've seen how HIS guidance and mentorship has actually helped me, so why will I want to out rule such a PERSON in my activities. So it's important to first understand what GOD'S agenda is for you. 'GOD, should I go on this business?' 'Do I setup a location for it or do I still continue from the corner of my house?' All those little details matter. Like someone asked 'can you really ask the Holy Spirit all those things'- Yeah you can ask, you can ask stupid questions no matter how silly it is, so it's important you first put GOD in whatever you want to do. It makes all these things easy because HE'S the only one that can take you to the right and good places, talking about your sources and locations, all those things are very very important. HE may want you to be in Abuleegba but you feel your target customers are in Ikeja because it's an exponential environment. No, you have to be where GOD wants you to be. Do what GOD wants you to do. Then secondly Passion, you must understand if you have passion for this or it is a matter of time and you'll be frustrated. Encouragement is not enough, you love to do it is important so those 2 are important.


Fixit: Briefly characterize your relationship with GOD

Emmanade: How do I describe a relationship that is like beans and corn cooked together, how do you pick them apart? That's how it is.


Fixit: Who is Fatokun Hannah Adetutu

Emmanade: Hannah is a lover of GOD, well it's not good to actually talk too much about your person. Its always good when third parties give witness of your personality, who you are. So dont let me reference about myself, but I am just the simplest person you can ever meet. Simple, understanding.

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