Buka Roadside Restaurants: Nigerian Indigenous Fast Food Restaurants

Nigeria indigenous fast food restaurants called Buka Joints.

ICMS,Inc Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Date: January 26, 2016

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Food Business, especially the indigenous restaurant and food service business is a lucrative and thriving industry in Nigeria. Buka joints as they are called are found everywhere in Nigeria, in big cities and small towns and are local fast food restaurants that serve indigenous dishes unique to the local community, culture/tribe or state they are located. They are profitable business ventures typically operated by women and generally are unaffected by economic cycles whether hard times or boom times. Bukas are of various grades and quality from tasty road side cuisines that cater for the poor to higher grade restaurants that cater for individuals with more money. In large cities like Lagos, Abuja etc, Bukas attract serious patronage and operators are more numerous and competition is intense. Many Buka food operators resort to operating mobile services, using carts to push the food around the area where their customers are to gain a competitive advantage.

Sample of  Buka Munu

The food quality is very good, spicy, colorful and relatively cheap when compared to western type restaurants and fast food restaurants. The menus are varied and depend on the time of day that the restaurant is open. A typical Buka joint (restaurant) has a dedicated following of clients that visit the joint for either breakfast, lunch or dinner or a combination. They are regularly visited by single individuals, office workers, taxi drivers, students, travelers etc., who need to eat and go back to work or home and don’t want to worry about the hassles of cooking and cleaning of dishes.

Photo Credit: JujuFilms

Buka indigenous restaurants have always existed in African countries and have unique features as stated earlier that reflect the culture and location of the restaurant. Everybody needs food at some time of the day regardless of the state of the person’s finances whether buoyant or broke, employed or unemployed. Buka food operators announce the availability or readiness of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus by simply putting out a sign post announcing to the public that “Food Is Ready.” As soon as clients see the sign that food is ready in front of the food joint, they start coming into the restaurant to order their meals. Buka joints cater for the needs of those with little means who need to satisfy their hunger and have little money within their reach, even if it means borrowing to eat. There is a base price for basic food. Any extras like extra meat, extra garri dumpling, beverage or alcoholic drinls can be added to a customer’s order at an extra cost. A popular local saying is “Man Must Wak” meaning a person must eat. These business are all season and operate all year round.

Nigerian Buka Food Joints: Read More:

Taste of the buka


 Niger Delta Restaurant located in Abuja Nigeria is a popluar buka type restaurant.

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