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It’s seriously tough out there for pubs and restaurants right now. A recent survey has found that a third of hospitality businesses are currently at risk of going bust by the end of the year, 77 percent have seen a decline in people eating out, and 89 percent don’t believe that the current government levels of support are enough to protect the industry over the next six months. So the brother-and-sister duo behind Nigerian tapas joint Chuku’s have taken a bold step. They’ve decided to admit they’re struggling, and have launched a Six Week Charge – asking Londoners to book tables between today and December 11 to save their restaurant.
‘We felt we had to be open and honest about where things were,’ says co-founder Ifeyinwa Frederick. ‘Things have not bounced back since the pandemic.’ Her brother Emeka agrees, explaining that there are massive pressures on restaurants: ‘Inflation, supply-chain challenges, staffing shortages: all these things mean that business owners like ourselves are firefighting, rather than pushing forward after two years of lost business.’
Chuku’s opened its Seven Sisters restaurant in February 2020, just five weeks before the first lockdown was announced. The Frederick siblings had already built up a loyal following with their supperclubs, and their new restaurant provided a pink-walled hub for their delicious contemporary takes on Nigerian cuisine. ‘It was an exciting time,’ says Emeka. ‘We’d done a successful crowdfunder with nearly 600 backers, and we were just getting into the flow of things when we had to close. After then, we never could regain that momentum.’
Chuku’s secured glowing reviews from Grace Dent and Jimi Famurewa, who praised its ‘boldly conceived, buoyantly atmospheric’ approach, as well as standout dishes like the caramel kuli kuli chicken wings. But it still lost out on two crucial years for getting itself established in its first bricks-and-mortar home. For Emeka, this new campaign is an attempt to get that momentum going again, with the ambitious target of getting 600 bookings over the next six weeks. ‘We want to rebuild that community energy and spirit to try and get lift off, so we can keep going into 2023 and beyond,’ he says.
As Ifeyinwa explains, they’re desperate to fight for Chuku’s because it’s more than just a restaurant to them. ‘It’s always been about more than just food. We’ve got Nigerian books on our shelves and Nigerian music on our speakers. We’re doing what we can to showcase the beauty of our heritage essentially, and make other people fall in love with it just as much as we’re in love with it.’
So far, things are looking positive: ‘The inbox and the DMs have been going crazy,’ says Ifeyinwa. Let’s hope that buzz translates into hundreds of bookings for Chuku’s, and enough support to keep that food love affair alive.
Chuku’s, 274 High Rd, N15 4AJ. Book here. Now.
Eat your way through Time Out’s guide to this city’s best restaurants.