Africa Top Success Ils font l'Afrique
Since last December 6th, she has been making Parisians enjoy in offering them African specialties: chicken yassa, mafé, thieboudiène, aloko brochettes, all at lower prices…
Fati Niang, 34 years old, launched the first Food Truck in Paris, a truck transformed into a travelling kitchen very fashionable in big capital towns.
This 34-year-old unmarried mother launched herself into this adventure by surfing on success of « Camion Qui Fume » (Smoking Truck): « I got the idea when I discovered the Camion Qui Fume, this Parisian famous food truck recognizable for its impressive line. I realized that customers had no reluctance eating up … I adapted the concept to African gastronomy. »
She was certified in marketing at a technical college and when she got this idea, she was working in Defense for an architect’s office dedicated to companies: « the target is to no more depend on others at operational level. I was annoyed when I missed a contract because someone did not do his job, for example. The strong desire of managing something from the beginning till the end and if it does not work, it does not matter as I shall blame myself for that. »
« At first, I wanted to open a restaurant with a particular identity, an atypical place, and trendy but we noticed that the budget was very too high. I heard about food truck and this concept seemed to me adapted; then, I surveyed the market and we went on this field. I have a partnership with Moriba for all what is coffee, tea, sauces cooked, etc. They helped me a lot and supported me in my project, also by introducing me into a network which was not mine and thanks to trainings and meetings ».
In order succeed her project she called on a famous head chef: Alexandre Bella Ola, 25 years of experience and practised.
Since then, she has been making enjoy inhabitants of Courbevoie and Gennevilliers in Paris region and she serves an average of 50 tables daily. The price of a normal meal is between 8 and 10 euros: « everything is in the display; it is very careful, top range; we want to do nothing « fast made » or » in a harry”. We propose a nice menu with novelties, revisited dishes, things that this clientele does not know … We propose classic and African inescapable cooking such as tieb, yassa, mafé and then every month, we organize culinary weeks. As for example grills with dibi, suya, braised chicken, etc. We are planning to make tour of Africa, why not in its 54 countries!”
Fati Niang is aiming high for her small business. She hopes to have very soon « the second, then the third truck », in order to achieve her dream, launching into the delivery and especially opening a real restaurant in Paris and why not in Senegal.
She also wants to make the tour of Africa and to visit all the countries!
In the meantime, we can enjoy her dishes by locating her truck on her site or on her Facebook.
