Dominos Casts Long Shadow Over Mr. Biggs, Others in the QSR Space in Nigeria

August 2024 · 6 minute read

The ambience was lit with colourful disco lights while the personnel, who wore red polo shirts emblazoned with a bright yellow logo scurried all over the place, attending to teeming customers. You could see a mix of excitement and fatigue on their faces.

The orders were coming in torrents. They could hardly keep up.

By the corner was a bouncing castle and bungee jump. Kids were busy. It did not help the already fatigued staff, who had to add the frenzied and hyperactive children to their list of things to worry about.

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This was in 2005. The glory days.

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Fast forward to 2022. Same place. The personnel have changed over time. The crowd has thinned out. The bouncing castle and bungee jump look rusty and dirty. Boredom has caught up with the staff. Customers come in trickles. The staff look forlorn.

This is the sorry state of one of Nigeria’s former darling Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), Mr. Bigg’s.

Mr. Bigg’s was the Nigerian equivalent of McDonald’s, at least, the business model is. It was a booming franchise of United Africa Company (UAC) that started in 1986.

Nigerians have ravenous appetites. They are among the biggest spenders on the globe. But they are quickly bored with mediocrity and lack of innovation.

While Mr. Bigg’s held sway, Tantalizers came and swept customers off their feet, metaphorically. Their ambience was cool, relaxing and spacious. Just the perfect place to be at the time.

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Sweet Sensation, Tastee Fried Chicken, simply known as Tastee showed up on the scene at the same time. The market shares of the big players like Mr. Bigg’s and Tantalizers began to shrink. Worse for Tantalizers, it has not opened new outlets for more than 15 years.

Glory Chiebuka, a customere said:

“I think the harsh economy in the country is biting them hard.. The reason I still patronise Mr. Bigg’s is because I am used to them and their meals are affordable.

While the likes of Mr. Bigg’s are becoming the fall guys of the QSR market, tastes and business models in the industry are fast changing.

Innovative approach to customer service

Back in the days, Tantalizers introduced Meals on Wheels to enable them to catch customers in their ‘comfort zones’. That too has fast become obsolete. Consumers distrust such meals as being stale, no matter how ‘oven-fresh’ they appear to be.

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Consumers no longer need to step out of their offices or homes before getting a meal of their choice. Hello Food, now Jumia Foods works with local restaurants and QSRs to satisfy their customers. Talk about innovation, the internet is playing a huge role in the market. Call up QSRs like Jumia Foods, and others are making a huge kill in the market.

For those who wish to explore, the direction has changed. They are no longer headed to Mr Bigg’s, Tantalizers, Sweet Sensation and the likes of the old guards.

Enter KFC, Others

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), founded by Colonel David Sanders, came to Nigeria in 2011 amid rave reviews. The reviews were so good, customers quickly switched loyalty. Their meals and recipes were the toast of consumers.

Soon enough the iconic smiling face of Sanders was almost everywhere in Nigeria. Their outlets were packed out. Some people attributed it to the successes KFC has recorded in other African countries.

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Emeka Ejiofor, KFC customer said.

“I knew about KFC before it came to Nigeria when I visited the U.S. it was my favourite eatery.

But while KFC Nigeria was bursting at the seams, the franchise was closing shops in Botswana. Over 400 outlets closed down in that country.

What consumers in Nigeria loved about KFC was not just its meals. They loved the environment and atmosphere. Some outlets went as far encouraging customers to ‘come and do your work in KFC’ when they introduced free Wifi. Soon, laptops and smartphones started showing up with many enthusiastic customers.

Omowunmi Kolawole said:

“It is youth-friendly and the staff are so good and well trained."

But KFC Nigeria is also gasping for air. The stifling economic environment is taking its toll on KFC Nigeria. There were reports some time ago that the franchise is pulling out of the country.

Dominos takes over

In 2012, Eat ‘N’ Go Restaurant Group, the master franchisee for Domino’s Pizza Nigeria, introduced the new bride in the QSR market in Nigeria.

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“Establishing ourselves in this emerging West African country presents a great opportunity for our business, and continues our global momentum as a brand,” said Ritch Allison, Domino’s Pizza executive vice president of international.

Nigerians are swooning. The tastes have soon changed from Chicken and snacks to something spicier.

No doubt Nigerians love spices and this accounts for why Domino’s Pizza Nigeria is an instant hit with them.

The setting and ambience are quintessential of class. Housed in see-through buildings, Domino’s Pizza provides a roomy environment and world-class service. The personnel are friendly and approachable. It is churning out outlets in Nigeria on a monthly basis.

“This shows its acceptance in the market in Nigeria,” Henry Offo, a customer said. “Or it could also be that consumers are also exploring since it is relatively new in the country,” he said.

Whatever Domino’s Pizza is doing to maintain that ‘newness’ for the past seven years needs to be sustained or it might soon go the way of Mr. Bigg’s and others.

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Restaurant Ordered to Pay Man Over N3.9 Billion After Serving Him Cleaning Liquid

It should be recalled that Legit.ng reported that When William Cronnon, a Tennessee man walked into a restaurant, he did not know his meal and the service at the establishment will lead to sickness and a years-long legal battle.

Well, Cronnon did his thing but unfortunately, a waitress served him cleaning liquid instead of water, when he asked for a glass to quench his thirst.

According to Today.com, Cronnon was enjoying himself at a Marion County Cracker Barrel when a waitress served him a mixture of water and Eco-San, a commercial-grade bleach.

Source: Legit.ng

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