Comfort food comes to Midrand

always been entrepreneurial. Being stuck in an office has always frustrated me, but I had to do what I could as I have a diploma in public relations.”

Unemployment led to her starting her food business.

“Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I never imagined myself as a restaurant owner.

“Because I love cooking, as I grew older my love for food grew fonder. I realised my passion and I saw an opportunity,” she says.

“Each time people tasted my food they would make remarks like ‘your food is addictive’ or ‘turn your skill into a living’.

“To my advantage, it’s not just the love for cooking that pushed me to start the business, but the understanding that being a restaurant owner is more than just the cooking – there is a range of elements that are involved which I have a clear understanding of.”

Thando’s Food opened on October 3 and currently sells the following dishes: Dagwood, served with chips or side salad; tripe served with creamy samp, mashed butternut and chakalaka; chicken breyani, beef curry and pasta served with carrot salad; fish served with chips or starch of the day; and a mutton bunny chow.

Thando says one of the challenges of being a female restaurant owner is that you need to be tough, which is contrary to what is traditionally expected of women.

“Being a restaurant owner is one way of testing your patience. You need a range of qualities to run a restaurant and those qualities I have practised along the years.”