Every Monday, we ask small businesses key questions. Here we speak about how to keep pop-up passion in tough times with Nicholas Coetzer, owner of Roots Plant Based Catering in Aberdeen.
How and why did you start in business?
Originally, Roots was a pop-up passion that I worked on in my spare time.
The dream was to serve up the best possible vegan street food that you would expect from a big restaurant but get from a tiny food truck.
At that time, most of the burger vans were serving the same thing, so I wanted to see what was possible and push the limits.
I was walking at Aberdeen Beach with my friend one night when I pointed out a tiny bright green food truck that had been closed for a long time.
I said I would love to have it, so I stuck my business card in the door and thought nothing more of it. Two weeks later, I got a call from the owner. The rest is history and Roots now has its home down at Aberdeen Beach.
How are you managing rapidly rising costs and how could the government help?
Things are really tough right now. We are very strict on ordering, food waste and portion control, and we’re always looking to streamline our preparation time to be super-efficient.
We’ve had to take certain items off the menu and in some cases we’ve changed recipes to include more affordable products. We’ve also had to increase some of our prices.
I don’t know what the government can do but, ultimately, I’ve chosen to be in this industry and it’s my responsibility to figure out my own path through the harder times.
How did you get to where you are today?
There’s been a lot of hard work. I took a chance on something different but I had to trust my gut instinct. Well, that and I just wanted to be my own boss and surf while I was at work.
Who helped you?
I talked to a lot of fellow members of the Federation of Small Businesses – local people who were involved in hospitality and happy to share their knowledge of food, drink, staff, service and suppliers.
Lara (Bishop) at Foodstory and Rikki (Pirie) at Sea Salt and Sole helped me out in the early days, and they’re still good friends who I chat to about work and bounce ideas off.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
You can’t make everyone happy. Just do what’s right for you and your business.
What is your biggest mistake?
For a while, I tried to do everything myself. You just can’t do that. Whatever your weakness is, find someone who’s good at it, give them the job, trust them to do it well and learn from them too.
What is your greatest achievement?
I recently had shoulder surgery. Normally, I would be anxious and desperate to get back to work. But I knew I had built up a great team and the business would be in good hands while I was recovering – your health is everything. My team is my greatest achievement.
What do you still hope to achieve?
I want to open another Roots in South Africa, or maybe Australia, and travel between the two. Maybe that’ll create some more “work and surf” opportunities for me.
What do you do to relax?
I love to surf and paddleboard. I really enjoy jumping into my campervan with my dog, Eva, and going on unplanned adventures. Eva’s such a gem and loves an adventure.
I go to the gym and keep fit, but sometimes nothing is better than ripping open an ice-cream tub and eating the whole thing watching trash TV.
What are you currently reading, listening to or glued to on TV?
I enjoy listening to podcasts and audio books. Right now I’m listening to David Chang’s book Eat A Peach. He’s the chef founder of Momofuku.
What do you waste your money on?
Coffee – I have a problem, a real addiction.
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
It’s coffee again, and taking Eva for a walk in the park.
What do you drive and dream of driving?
I drive a Mercedes Sprinter van as it’s great for adventuring, with all the surf boards and kit. I’m a bit nostalgic about old muscle cars, so my dream would have to be a Chevy Chevelle SS.
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