After selling barbecue on the roadside in Lautoka for more than five years, Prinal Priya Devi and Nalini Ranjani Prasad are set to open their very first restaurant today.
Speaking to this newspaper, Ms Devi said their journey began while working as delivery drivers for Fiji Eats, before a devastating setback changed everything.
“We started off as drivers for Fiji Eats and while doing deliveries, our car got burnt out,” she said.
“So we started by selling kumquat juice and hot dogs. I began mixing my own sauce recipes and eventually moved into BBQ.”
Over the next five years, the duo worked tirelessly to build their business, often selling late into the night and participating in various local markets.
“We faced many struggles, from working until 4am to save money, to taking part in the GoldFM RocMarket, Garden City markets and other late-night markets, often without any help to load and unload.
“Jass Prasad, my partner, and I often felt like giving up. We were exhausted every night just trying to make a living.”
Despite the challenges, they pressed on, travelling daily from Tavua to Lautoka in the evenings and returning home early the next morning.
“We would leave Tavua at 4pm and return home around 5am, reaching by 7am completely exhausted after scraping by every night.”
Their struggles were compounded last Christmas when they lost all their savings in a robbery at a Lautoka accommodation.
“We thought that was the last straw and we wanted to give up.”
However, an unexpected act of kindness changed the course of their journey.
“But when strangers, who later became friends, helped us get back on our feet by giving us money to start again and buy a BBQ set, it changed everything.
“Their kindness during such a painful time inspired us to keep going. We worked hard, grew from that small beginning, and now we can hardly believe that we own a restaurant.”
Ms Devi said the new restaurant represents not just a business achievement, but a testament to perseverance and faith.
“But for this restaurant, it’s a blessing, with God being with us every step of the way.
“Our goal now is to create new menu items, desserts and more fresh, local juices and to be the best at what we do.”
Their restaurant named “Everyday Eats restaurant” along Nakasi road.
