By Matṧeliso Phulane
Baoroa-Tsatsi Firewood Foods restaurant is an eatery for people who are willing to learn who they are and where they come from while still enjoying firewood-prepared foods, drinks and historical books.
The business which is owned by Thapelo Koloko and Motumi Khoabane was established in March 2021 as potato production encountered high market competition.
In an interview with theReporter this week, the managing director Koloko said the aim is to provide fresh, organic foods and healthy in addition to alcoholic drinks and beverages, while also empowering Basotho by giving them access to decent employment and income for sustainable livelihoods.
“Baoroa-Tsatsi Firewood Foods restaurant is a cultural-based restaurant that strives to serve ordinary, unique family, occasional fashion food and beverages to its customers.
“We serve readily available foods such as pizza small, medium and large. There are also wings and chips combo, fat cake singles, chicken stir-fry, wrap and tacos singles, meaty and vegan kebabs as well as popcorn tub.
“It offers bakery- buns, bread, Pizza, Fast Foods wings and chips, food wraps, braai, stews and stir-fry. Beverages non-alcoholic drinks such as slushies, milkshake, cocktails. Alcoholic drinks include wine, cocktails, ciders milkshake vodka, Fun Foods-candy floss, milkshake, popcorn.
All the cooking is done with the firewood oven “because-fired wood ovens cook food faster while also this allows certain nutrients and antioxidants to be retained in the food, which would otherwise be lost by conventional, slower cooking methods of cooking.”
There is also Sunday sessions for poetry, singing, storytelling, monologue and dance apart from that there is various book session which includes history reading done where we pick any particular topic of interest.
Koloko said it is called Baoroa-Tsatsi “because the new generation has lost direction due to different religious system, education system and political system which do not support our roots as Africans and Basotho exclusively.”
As a result, he believes that Baoroa-Tsatsi is the place that brings people together to know who they are and where they originate from while they are still enjoying their good food and drinks.
Koloko explained that the restaurant caters for mini occasional events such as birthdays, graduation celebrations and formal business meetings.
Apart from that, it also offers lighter, smaller and big menu for children and adults. Customers can also enjoy the free Wi-Fi and photo shoot if they purchased from M50 upwards.
He observed that thorough knowledge in product development and marketing of Baoroa-Tsatsi in particular food and beverages as they have been field marketers, researchers and grower of agricultural products.
The exposure and experience dealing with those products positioned them as entrepreneurs that are skilled in accelerating the business beyond just district level to even national and international level.
Their popularity in the space of youth development and youth economic empowerment advocacy and being a regular speaker for the local events that are geared towards educating Basotho about history in foods and herbs, as well as their way of living, has attracted a greater number of locals following them.
“Our vision is to rise to top of mountain kingdom’s tourism and hospitality serving convenience innovatively locally thus improving socio-economic growth while embracing both cultural and modern foods and beverages.
“Our objective is also to improve the happiness and comfort of our customers and community to promote tourism and hospitality in the Mountain Kingdom and to increase utilisation of the locally produced agri-products as far as possible. To provide work to our locally produced human resources combating the poverty rise amongst our Basotho communities.
For orders people can contact: +266 58684644 or visit their Facebook page called Baoroa-Tsatsi Pizza on their website http://www.baroa-tsatsi.ls. The restaurant is located at Sea-point in Maseru district.
