SweetTooth Confectioneries Opens in Port Harcourt
Last weekend witnessed the entry in Port Harcourt of SweetTooth Confectioneries a catering outfit offering to the indulgencies of those who can afford it like frozen and baked deserts. Located at the Government Reserved Area in the heart of Port Harcourt, the confectionery shop look appeal to the high end of the society with its gelato, artisan iced cake, carefully selected ingredients to frozen yogurt as well as a coffee shop (Corner Store) that ensures that there is something for every age bracket of the young and old but active age.
Speaking at the opening, the Chief Executive Officer of SweetTooth Confectioneries, Mrs. Tejumola Arigbodi, said her desire in establishing the outfit was to have a competitive truly Nigerian brand that would answer to the sweet tooth in every individual. “SweetTooth is actually a combination of everything. We have the frozen desert and we have the baked desert. When I say frozen I talk about gelato, artisan iced cake, carefully selected ingredients to frozen yogurt. More health, less sugar for some that have issues of diabetes and cholesterol that targeted to take care of them. We also have our baked section, our cakes, our desert cakes and all of that and not forgetting our candies,” she stated. She said the outfit it started as a candy shop because I am a lover of children. If not anything else, this business started on the fact that I want children to always have something to remember because the childhood memories will always stay. For me it started as just a candy shop and from there ooh some ice cream will be nice, and some cake and later I said okay, the fathers and the mothers will like to have something, they won`t stay at the candy shop without something to do so I conceived the idea of having a coffee or tea shop, or just where they can relax while they wait for their kids.
“For me I have always loved food and hospitality. I started with a catering company and I saw the need to actually provide more than just the basic Nigerian meals and all of that. So I conceived this dream four years ago. I started going for training, started educating myself the more through trainings abroad and here in Nigeria as well. I started aiming to be the best and getting to know what to do and putting the right things into what we have today.”
She said the peculiarity of the Port Harcourt is her major motivation to site the business in the city despite the seeming challenging operational environment. Hear her; “Port Harcourt a very peculiar market, I will almost say it’s a virgin land. I have been in Port Harcourt for like quite a number of years, I have also visited other cities as much as people have a lot to say about the city, I have looked positives and negative about Port Harcourt and that’s why I decided to give it a short. If you look at the negative, you probably would not do anything. When you say the environment, am hoping for the best I am positive because I know Port Harcourt will not disappoint.
She lamented that the Nigerian economy doesn’t encourage a lot of investments, especially young entrepreneurs, for some of us coming into the industry people are like unwilling to teach you what they know, they are always very evasive, you have to learn on your own. It`s not as encouraging as you would expect it to be. Arigbodi said that in order to remain ahead of the competition she would be very innovative. “Introduce new things every time; we don’t want to like settle. When you settle maybe you become complacent, maybe not. But for us we hope to introduce new things, churn out new things from time to time.”
On his part an elated Richardson Arigbodi, Chairman of the company expressed joy and thanks to God for granting them grace to nurture the dream to fruition. He acknowledge that it has not been easy getting to realise the dream and opening shop but added that having got to this level the company can only grow stronger. He said that the company target is to go beyond our Port Harcourt branch, dominate the South South region. Rev.Fr. Raymond Ikponmwoba of the St. Augustine Catholic Church NIFOR Benini City, who conducted the opening ceremonies, described the coming of SweetTooth Confectioneries as an investment that must yield profitable dividend to the owners. He told them “it is a seed that you have sown today. You may not know the extent it will go but be assured that God will surprise you. It shall continue to grow and go places, spreading across Nigeria and beyond.” Ikponmwoba along with the Arigbodis and other guest officially opened the confectionery shop to the waiting public.