New restaurant hopes to revive Nakuru's 24-hour economy

Something exciting is happening in Nakuru and everyone has taken notice.

After a very long time, there seems to be a new dawn with a new investor daring to run a 24-hour restaurant.

Christine Ngugi, the owner of Nacity Restaurant, which was opened on Wednesday, is determined to change the status quo by setting up her 24-hour business despite the prevailing circumstances and history.

Despite the known challenges, Ms Ngugi is convinced that there is a gap in the market in the city that someone has to fill. So she did.

Driven by her many late-night visits to the city, the businesswoman discovered that the city lacked decent restaurants where people could eat after 10pm, as most hotels and cafes were closed.

"I realised that the only place to find food is at the street stalls, which most people are comfortable with," she says.

To ensure the survival of the business, Ms Ngugi was keen to find a suitable location that would ensure a flow of customers.

And the Shabab stage along Mburu Gichua road, where the city's service matatus converge, proved to be a good choice. At night, matatus on the Sabaab, Bahati, Njoro and Pipeline routes converge at this point.

Targeting the commuters to be her first group of customers.
However, the restaurant is designed to cater for different groups of people, including a meeting place for people in the city as well as a place for individuals to have a chat.

With a variety of cuisines on offer, including Indian halal and Swahili dishes, the owner is strategic about not leaving anyone behind.

"I have made sure that I have fresh food and enough professional staff to provide services round the clock," says Ms Ngugi.

Nakuru town has long been known for going to sleep at night after the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses close their doors at 9 pm, meaning that the city's public transport ends its runs at 10 pm.

This has been blamed for the death of many night-time businesses, including entertainment venues and clubs.

Those who dared to run a 24-hour business at the time have had bad experiences after being forced to close due to extremely slow business.

There are those who tried to keep the lights on by running a 24-hour business like Mainstreet Barbecue, a fast food joint located at the junction of Kenyatta Avenue and Gusii Road.

But according to Boniface Otieno, the cafe's supervisor, night-time business dropped during the pandemic shutdown and has never recovered.

"Business was very good and we were selling all through the night, but after Covid-19, the number of customers kept dropping by 8pm, so we end up closing at 9pm," says Mr Otieno.

He notes that the pandemic has had a number of effects on business that have affected operations in Nakuru, including the death of clubs in the city centre that he says kept people in town throughout the night.

He singles out some of the clubs that provided customers including Sebbs, Sting, Court Yard, Club 64 among others that have since been closed down.