Frey Restaurant is a family-run business delivering an authentic Eritrean and Ethiopian dining experience to its local community in Walthamstow. They pride themselves in their welcoming atmosphere, making every customer feel like they are part of the family.
Kiflay founded his own business, Frey Restaurant in December 2021. Nwes supported Kiflay with his Start Up loan application and provided 1-2-1 business advice so that the family ran restaurant could make the best possible start.
We spoke to Kiflay about Frey restaurant and his journey into starting his own business. You can read his responses below.
What does your business offer?
Our business is Frey Restaurant where we provide traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian food to our local community in Walthamstow, with plans to deliver via Uber Eats and Just Eat. We have a range of dishes including the Veg dish, which is highly demanded by our customers.
How did the support from Nwes assist you?
Nwes supported me during my Start Up Loan application. The Start Up Loan has allowed me to carry out refurbishments and buying the necessary equipment to set up the kitchen and other rooms in the restaurant.
What has been the highlight of starting your own business?
I have lived in Walthamstow since I came to the UK from Eritrea in 2011. I noticed that in Walthamstow there were no restaurants providing traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian food. I have been able to run that business and provide the local community in Walthamstow with these tasty dishes.
What is the one thing you wish you would have known sooner on your journey?
During the refurbishment period, it is always good to put things in plan as there are chances of delays due to different reasons, such as not preparing the material for the builders on time, not having dedicated builders or not having the right plan. So having these things right has helped me to reach my business goals on time and also has helped me save money. I was lucky to have very dedicated builders and I learn as I go to prepare materials on time.
What are your plans over the coming year?
Out first priority is to make sure our restaurant has the best quality food and best cleaning standards in the area. We have spent a lot of money to our kitchen and other rooms to help us with this. Next, we plan to prepare our favourite Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes and reach our local Walthamstow community. We also plan to put our restaurant on Uber Eats and Just Eat to take advantage of online business. We have developed our website and will use that for our customers to order online.
If you’d like to find out more about Frey restaurant, visit their website or their Facebook page.
If you would like to begin your own business journey just like Kiflay, call us on 0203 0111340 or use the live chat on the bottom right of your screen, and a member of the team will be more than happy to talk you through the support available.