Mastercard has announced the launch of ‘The Kitchen’, a competition in support of the restaurant industry in Nigeria. The initiative calls on aspiring restaurateurs from across Nigeria to submit their entries for consideration in the first edition of The Kitchen.
This first-of-its-kind competition is in keeping with Mastercard’s commitment to support small and medium businesses (SMEs) in Nigeria, with a particular focus on the restaurant industry, as they build their businesses in response to the changing consumer behaviour due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mastercard has made it its mission to support SMEs in many industries across the globe through numerous Priceless Moments initiatives and campaigns. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, many SMEs were faced with several challenges leading to declines in revenue, transactions, footfall, and employment, with the hospitality and tourism sector being particularly hard-hit,” said Ifeoma Dozie, marketing and communications director, Sub-Sharan Africa, Mastercard.
According to Dozie, this competition is aimed at supporting local businesses to enable them thrive in the emerging new business environment. “Mastercard remains committed to supporting SMEs in the dining space as they struggle to keep their businesses afloat in the midst of a pandemic,” Dozie stated.
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As a testament to its ongoing support of the food business in Nigeria, Mastercard is also the sponsor of the annual Restaurant Week and the recent SME Dining Series – Pizza Week, Burger Week, and Suya Week.
Speaking further on the competition, Dozie said Mastercard has collaborated with Lost in the City to present The Kitchen, while applicants were required to send in a three-course menu proposal along with a three-minute video with their bio to enter for the competition.
An adjudication panel will then select six semi-finalists who will participate in a cook-off which kicks off in September. The four chosen participants will go through to the final.
These four finalists will get the opportunity to host a three-night pop-up throughout September, where 20 guests will enjoy a three-course meal each night. The four finalists will be allocated a budget to buy ingredients, hire staff and create the ambiance to make their pop-up a success.
Guests attending each pop-up will rate the contestants based on three elements, which are food, ambiance and service and the winner will receive N2 million in seed funding to start a food business of their choice.
Mastercard cardholders are encouraged to participate in the pop-ups as guests by purchasing tickets for the three-course meal at N20,000 per head.
