By: Sizakele Nduli
Like many who were left jobless during the Covid-19 pandemic, cousins Wandile Mabija, 31, and Solethu Mahlati, 30, refused to sit back and wait for opportunities to come their way.
With the help of family members, the two business partners established Kitchen Brothers, a mobile Mexican restaurant in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.
Mabija told Vutivi News that the inspiration for their Mexican cuisine stemmed from his time in the US.
“I worked in Austin, Texas, for two years and during that time, I was always intrigued by Mexican food trucks. I loved the spicy, rich flavour of the food and wanted to share it with people back home,” he said.
With its exceptional Mexican cuisine that sets the restaurant apart from other local dining options, Kitchen Brothers has now become a top-notch culinary experience for Mthatha locals.
“The response has been amazing. Once people got a taste of our menu, we’ve had more and more people visiting our restaurant,” Mabija said, adding that the traction from their social media accounts is growing. They now have over 13,000 TikTok followers.
Mabija explained that despite the support they now received for their Mexican dishes, starting a business during a time when companies were closing down was not easy.
He said that in the beginning, one of the challenges was breaking into the food market as people were hesitant to try new dishes. They also struggled with branding and packaging.
“Mthatha is a small town and has limited availability for certain things,” he added.
Today Kitchen Brothers currently has three employees and continues to offer mostly Mexican dishes with a South African twist.
“We have burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and we make fresh, hand-made gourmet burgers,” Mabija said.
With a driver who delivers orders all around Mthatha, Mabija and Mahlati are now gearing up to introduce a pop-up restaurant with an outdoor setup for their customers. Additionally, they are looking to expand their reach to other cities in the Eastern Cape.
“Consistency and patience are what kept the business growing over the years,” Mabija concluded.
They are available on the Mr D Food app.
