Sooyah Bistro scales to N5 billion valuation in Nigeria

Founded in 2018 with an initial capital of 20,000 naira, Sooyah Bistro has grown into a business valued at over 5 billion naira. The company has expanded to more than ten locations across Lagos and Ibadan, focusing on formalizing the previously fragmented suya street food market.

Founder Olamidun Ogundoyin achieved this growth through a strategy of self-funding and reinvesting nearly all operational profits back into the business. To manage expansion costs, the company utilizes modular formats such as converted containers and takeout counters, which allow for investment recovery within twelve to eighteen months.

To combat structural challenges in Nigeria, such as unstable power and supply chain fragmentation, Sooyah Bistro has implemented internal solutions. These include establishing private cold chains with vacuum packaging to prevent spoilage and using automated point-of-sale systems to track raw ingredients in real time. The business also relies on strictly standardized recipes and workflows to maintain quality and mitigate high staff turnover.