By Utamu Belle
The belief that she could create a successful business and earn the respect of friends and business acquaintances is just one of the driving factors which motivated Lindener Kenisha Fernandes to become an entrepreneur.
The thirty-year-old woman is the visionary mind behind the food entity, Bon Appétit 592 which prides itself by living up to its slogan, “We create food for the soul”.
Based in Wisroc, Linden, the entity which was birthed in June of last year offers delectable food on its daily menu and caters for public and private events. Apart from soul food, the entity also provides its unique line of fruit juices titled “592 Juices”.
“Offering a valuable service to customers made me pride myself on doing the best job possible,” the budding entrepreneur told Sunday Times during an interview.
Fernandes then went on to talk about how it all started for her.
“I do believe I’ve always had a passion for cooking and it started at the age of twelve. As I got older, I began doing research which led to me creating my own recipes,” she said.
As she grew older, so did her passion and she was determined to make it into something productive. The name Bon Appétit is quite a catchy and unique one, and according to Fernandes, her main aim behind its creation was to create a lasting impression.
“The main idea behind my business name is basically uniqueness. I created the name so that persons could embody my brand and know that it’s something that’s going to be memorable,” she stated.
Creating wholesome recipes has its fair share of challenges, the entrepreneur agreed, but she always finds ways in making it work.
“Some of the challenges I face are sometimes sourcing ingredients for recipes and catering to customers out of my region, but then I improvise and get the job done,” she shared.
Fernandes said despite challenges, her experience thus far has been fulfilling, which provides a great sense of accomplishment.
“I enjoy the feedback from customers the most. Great food and happy customers equal a thriving business,” she quipped as she explained that the support from members of the community also went beyond her expectations.
According to Fernandes, the level of support has been “tremendous” thus far.
In just a few months, her food entity will celebrate a year of being in existence and Fernandes is looking forward to greater things.
“Bon Appétit 592 will definitely have locations across Guyana and that’s truly a goal I’m pushing for,” she stated.
Tapping in with a bit of advice for young entrepreneurs who are thinking about walking down a familiar path, Fernandes advised them to “invest in your brand and always believe that you can make it big”.
