By Moses Kaketo
Have you been to Kampala & its surrounding areas of late? There is something new & exciting.
Bread House (BH) is a rapidly expanding brand that you have undoubtedly recognised. With the motto “Baked today, sold today,” The BH is Kampala’s well-known confectionery brand specialised in producing & marketing premium, fresh bread and related goods. They claim to be “probably the best bread in Uganda.” They really do mean it.
Bread House has registered phenomenal growth in the recent past.
The BH is not selling imported bread; (Ugandans tend to attach too much importance to imported goods). They are not employing expatriates (some Ugandans tend to believe in foreigners). And, yes, they are not using witchcraft.
The owner is an ordinary Ugandan doing exceptional things. He started with nothing save for his passion and love for continuous improvement.
From two rented rooms in Lweza, three staff and an oven (without a mixer – used hands to mix). Today, BH is a “superpower”. It employs over 270 Ugandans and serves over 150 independent outlets. That’s not all; BH is counting six bustling branches, and more branches are in the pipeline.
So why are they succeeding where others failed or are failing?
Target market: The BH, known for delectable freshly baked bread, targets the top and the middle class. They know exactly where to find them. Their branch location (Ntinda, Lweza, Mpala House, Kyanja, Kitebi & Bulenga) tells it all.
They understood what their target market prefers – quality. Visiting any of their branches, you witness and experience the highest level of cleanness. The branches are also located in prime locations. well painted in the brand’s colours. The aroma of freshly baked goods and the ambience are at another level – you need to pay them a visit to appreciate this.
Talent acquisition & retention
Bread House employs young, energetic, focused and result-oriented university students who are eager to prove their capabilities.
Beyond that, BH developed manuals for every department. This explains the uniformity in quality of service at all branches of BH.
This partly explains why BH offers the highest level of customer service and customer experience. Those who have been there can confirm this.
For example, there is always a dedicated staff at all their branches to welcome customers with a smile and help you park. At BH, you’re not a visitor but a client.
Customers are welcomed by beautiful & smartly dressed young girls. The BH services come at an extra cost, but customers are happily willing to pay that extra coin. A proof that Ugandans are willing to pay more for a good customer experience.
Bread House has mastered the role a satisfied internal customer – read ’employee’ – plays in the survival and growth of the business. These include the frontline employees in customer service and sales. those who work behind the scenes: the ones doing the baking, packing, cleaning, store management, handling procurement, the drivers, loaders, coaches, heads of department, accountants and managers. These well trained employees the reasons customers keep coming back to Bread House. It is their way of appreciating the service and exceptional experience they get at BH.
They also open as early as 7:00 AM and close as late as 10:00 PM to serve the early bird customers as well as those who leave their work station late.
You don’t need to worry about payments. The BH offers customers various payment options: Visa, MasterCard, Mobile Money, cash, etc.
Initially, they sold only bread. They have since widened the product offer to include over 50 products that include bread & buns, cookies & rocks, pastries, fries and beverages.
Bread House growth has not been a bed of roses. The founder & CEO is not shy of sharing times it proved harder.
“We walked home many times with my wife. In our earlier, harder days, we (my wife & I) would sometimes sleep at the back of the bakery. Now we drive home. We can now stay anyway.” Says founding Director and CEO Herbert Magara.
He recalls the time he operated on losses for two years. The time he failed to secure funds from friends and family to clear rent arrears of UGX 500,000. Let down by family & friends, Mr Magara had to sell his only valuable asset back then, an old car, to clear rent arrears for the business & also revive the business.
That is now all history. Today. BH is a giant, shaking up the industry. The once big men must be in shock & admiring him. The former structural engineer who dropped his profession to pursue his passion is now succeeding where others have failed or are failing. Many bakeries have come and gone. Others are just surviving. Bread House is here to stay.
Lesson: Rome was not built in one day. The BH journey is a story of resilience, passion, continuous learning and innovation.
The writer is a Content Creator & Distribution expert. He can be reached via WhatsApp
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