Wakis African Kitchen opened its doors last Friday, becoming the only restaurant of its kind in Columbus, Georgia. The restaurant fulfills one of the owner’s dreams.
Olatunji “TJ” Aiyeola moved to Columbus from Nigeria in 2014 to be near his sister Olasumbo Dada and her husband, who were already living in the area. Aiyeola’s wife, Lashanda, told the Ledger-Enquirer that opening the restaurant fulfills one of her husband’s dreams.
“He’s been working on it for a very long time,” she said. “And finally he was able to do it.”
Olatunji “TJ” Aiyeola, right, and his wife Lashanda Aiyeola, serve customers at their business Wakis African Kitchen in Columbus, Georgia.
From Grocery Store to Culinary Destination
The restaurant is the second place of business Aiyeola has started in Columbus, joining his similarly named grocery store the Wakis African and Caribbean Mart. It is the only African grocery store in the city, he said, and it gave people who wanted to cook African food a place to shop without traveling to Atlanta.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
That’s when he realized there was a demand among the African community in Columbus for authentic food.
“It’s not common,” Aiyeola told himself. “I’m not going to have that much competition.”
He told his family he wanted to open a grocery store, and they wholeheartedly supported the idea.
“Especially my sister,” he said. “She has always been my backbone encouraging me.”
Since the grocery store has opened, customers asked Aiyeola about opening an African restaurant, he said. The idea to open Wakis African Kitchen was due to popular demand, Aiyeola said.
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
After putting the news online that the restaurant was coming, he began fielding calls from people - like Luke - who were interested in knowing when it would be open.
Now that the time has come, Aiyeola is excited to see customers come and try their food, he said.
“I’m very excited,” Lashanda said.
A Taste of Nigeria: Jollof Rice and More
For customers new to African cuisine, Aiyeola recommends trying the jollof rice, a rice dish blended with vegetables and a combination of spices. The dish comes directly from Aiyeola’s West African heritage, he said.
“I’m from the southwest of Nigeria,” he said. “There’s no family back home that doesn’t eat jollof rice. What else do you want to eat?”
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
Another staple on Wakis’ menu is the egusi soup, which can be served with beef, chicken, tilapia croaker or goat meat.
The food is cooked to order, so patrons should expect a long wait as it is freshly prepared.
How To Make Nigerian Perfect Jollof Rice step by step guide
Chicken egusi soup is one of the dishes served by Wakis African Kitchen in Columbus, Georgia.
First Impressions and Future Expectations
Columbus resident Natasha Luke was one of the first customers to come to the restaurant’s grand opening on Friday.
“And we just fell in love with it.”
When she heard Wakis African Kitchen would serve authentic cuisine, Luke knew she had to try it.
“It’s different,” she said. “(People) should widen their taste buds and try it out.”
