Paul Kihiko — How We Made It In Africa
Paul Kihiko, Kenya
His idea for Wing It Nairobi, Kenya’s first chicken wings only fast-food joint was born over a lunch with friends.
“When the waiter came to the table with the menu, it had all the usual items: burgers, chicken, everything. But everybody somehow decided to take chicken wings – the whole table. So I thought, why not start something because it’s a business I have seen working very well in Europe and the US. It’s a huge industry” the 30-year-old said in an interview recently.
Wing It currently has two restaurants in the Galleria and The Hub shopping malls in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. The company, which has been successful despite competition from global fast-food brands, offers chicken wings in 15 flavours, which Kihiko himself created by experimenting with different recipes. Last year, Wing It raised $75,000 from two investors for a minority stake in Kenya’s edition of Dragons’ Den. Kihiko is set to open other outlets this year, according to Forbes.
