How We Built Anambra’s Fastest Growing Restaurant, Opened 12 Outlets in 13 Years – Mrs Abayol

A Benue couple, Hon. Peter Abayol and Pastor Mrs. Ifeoma Abayol, has opened up on their entrepreneurial journey, detailing how their fast food venture — Chillis Foods —survived the odds and blossomed across Nigeria, with Anambra State proving to be their most receptive and fertile ground for growth.

In what can best be described as a journey fueled by passion and sustained by grace, the couple recounted how they have continued to leave a delectable imprint on the food and hospitality industry through their thriving culinary enterprise

In an exclusive interview, Pastor Mrs. Ifeoma Abayol, who hails from Enugu State by birth but is married to Hon. Peter Abayol from Benue State, narrated how her deep love for good food and the desire to serve quality meals in a serene environment spurred the idea of venturing into the fast food industry over a decade ago.

According to her, she often found herself disappointed by the quality of food served at most restaurants, which rarely met her taste standard. This recurring dissatisfaction, she recalled, rather than dissuade her, ignited a vision in her, gradually inspired and stirred up a desire in her to start something different — a food business that would replicate the delicious and satisfying taste of homemade meals.

Though the ambition was clear and the vision compelling, translating these into reality came with enormous challenges. Faced with the daunting task of executing what she described as a “gigantic project”, they had no financial muscle to start, while several banks turned down their requests for funding, insisting they lacked the necessary structural framework. Undeterred by rejection, however, she leaned on faith, resilience, and passion to stay the course.