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Two young male entrepreneurs from the mining town of Linden, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice (Region Ten) have used their culinary skills to tackle the financial and other challenges that befell them due to the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19.
The men, Dexter Copeland, a graphic artist and music producer and Shawn Duke, a boutique owner have decided to turn their hobby of cooking into an economic venture.
Copeland, 22, had no work as a result of the pandemic. Understanding his role as a provider for his family, he took a leap of faith and started a small fast food operation at home. Copeland new business venture ‘That’s a Wrap’ specializes in wings, burgers and fries which he also delivered to customers.
“Graphic designing and photography would have come to a halt because persons only focused on necessities, persons started focusing on food and water, so I took it onto myself to start a food business, selling wings and burgers, so that I can make some extra cash and maintain myself and family,” he told Village Voice Guyana.
Recongising that there were already established food businesses, Copeland decided that his new business venture had to focus heavily on presentation and packaging. He said it was his presentation of his meals, the quality packaging and the mouth-watering meals he prepared that caught his customers’ attention.
“Persons were skeptical at first, I had to basically take the leap of faith and take the food preparation to another level, I had to ensure the food is packaged and closed off properly. I also had to find a way to deliver the food without putting myself and the customers in danger, so I also had to focus on precautionary measures,” he told Village Voice.
Copeland said that with the relaxation of the COVID-19 curfew by the Ministry of Health, he can now facilitate more customer orders. He said since his business’ establishment in May his profit fluctuates but he is optimistic that things will get better. As a male who ventured into the culinary business, the Lindener encourages other males to step out of their comfort zones, defy the odds and grab every opportunity that becomes available.
“We all know that there is a pandemic and I would encourage youths to push beyond their boundaries, we already know that there are limitations but the only limitation you have with life is yourself, if you continue to push yourself and find new means and be creative, you will always be successful, so try to push yourself and think about different ideas. Come out of your comfort zone and push yourself,” he said.
Meanwhile, Copeland told Village Voice that the response to his burgers and wings venture has been mostly positive. “We take preparation very seriously, we ensure the customers’ meals are well prepared and delivered on time. We also take our constructive criticism very seriously as well,” the young businessman said.
Like Copeland, Shawn Duke who owns a boutique has capitalized on his culinary skills. Duke, who is the owner of 592 Wings, said his store’s operation has slowed significantly because of COVID-19.
The young man told Village Voice that he loves to cook and decided to test his barbecue wings with family and friends. After receiving positive feedback from his family and friends, who would consistently order from him, Duke created ‘592 Wings’.
With referrals from his relatives and positive feedback from his customers, 592 Wings grew beyond his expectations. The unexpected growth forced him to invest in equipment to cater to the demands of his clientele.
“I always liked cooking since I was small. When all the guys went into Agriculture and Business streams, I went into Home-Ec [Economics], so cooking was always a part of me. 592 Wings is now the talk of the town and I am able to earn during the pandemic,” he said.
Duke told Village Voice Guyana that his biggest challenge is his competition but he uses that challenge as a push factor for him to be unique.
“There is a job for everyone, there is something everyone is good at, the pandemic has given everyone an opportunity to realize what talent they have inside and how they can make money off of it, don’t allow the pandemic to get the best of you, but get the best out of it,” the young entrepreneur said.
