So much has changed in our new global COVID world, yet sometimes its’ easy to think here in Vanuatu our life is not affected – given there have been no community cases and for many people life goes on similarly as before. But for most businesspeople, there is a very real COVID effect. Sophie Tariliu was running a successful and well-known kava business in Port Vila pre-COVID. As people lost jobs in multiple industries many of them opened new kava businesses. So competition in the kava sector increased and as a result the returns were dropping. Sophie and her husband Richard Mera noticed the changes right away and knew they would need to react quickly when Sophie noticed there was a ‘for rent’ sign in the old night club location that was ‘The Flaming Bull’ before. With the previous tenant locked out of Vanuatu, the building owner was looking to rent the site out and so RISO RESTAURANT was born in late 2020.
Focusing on quality local kakae, the restaurant’s unique selling proposition is that they cook mostly on fire and stone and serve traditional local foods such as nalot, rus banana, ginger fish soup, baked bush kabij and bunia. Riso restaurant was the first place in town that offered a sit-down location, with real Vanuatu and Melanesian food (just like grandma makes). Located between VFSC and the now closed Lotus Café, and being so close to many of Government offices, means that the restaurant quickly attracted loyal customers especially lunch times.
Sophie’s husband Richard was a successful chef in his youth having worked for the Rossi and Ma Bakers amongst other restaurants. So, he’s in charge of the menu planning and Sophie does the provisioning and supervises the staff. Given so much of the menu is local food, the business has a network of farmers and producers it also supports – thus the economic benefits are even felt by those suppliers outside of Port Vila. This is not a small undertaking and there is a team of enthusiastic staff and suppliers supporting the new restaurant.
“I love sitting with the customers to storian” says Sophie “so many people come and share their ideas about local food. It’s constantly giving us inspiration for new recipes to introduce to our customers”. When asked who her customers are, she blushes and says even some Government Ministers have sat in her humble restaurant to enjoy her food.
Sophie is not new to business but knows that her success is now dependent on being and staying competitive and that with the drop to our economy, things are now harder for businesspeople like her to stay afloat. Knowing this, she applied for the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry ‘Phoenix Women in Business’ program and was accepted. The program offers a year of business skills and leadership development followed by an investment the women can use to reinvest into their business. Sophie is investing in better kitchen equipment and larger refrigeration capabilities to take her restaurant to the next level.
Riso Restaurant is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to late afternoon – drop in for some delicious lunch and experience some true Melanesian delights while also doing your bit to support the local economy.