A family-owned Nigerian bakery, Grey Matlock Bakery in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, has been praised and recommended by Canadian customers for its Agege Bread specialty.Grey Matlock Bakery, a Canadian-based business, was established in 2018 by Adewale Rabiu, who relocated from Nigeria to Ontario in 2016. Upon arrival, he noticed the absence of his beloved Lagos food, Agege bread, and began exploring potential business opportunities. Adewale Rabiu and his family moved to Ontario, Canada in 2016, fulfilling their long-time desire to live abroad. Prior to relocating, Rabiu worked for MTN in Nigeria and upon arrival in Canada, he secured a position as a senior business analyst at telecommunications company Rogers. However, Rabiu’s true passion was entrepreneurship, and despite his success in the telecommunications industry, he aspired to start his own business.
“When we were planning the move, we already discussed that if we found a business opportunity, we would grab it,” he says.
Upon settling into their new home city, the Rabiu family quickly realised that there was an absence of Nigerian bakeries, despite the large diaspora community. They especially missed Agege bread, a soft, fluffy, stretchy and sweet white bread baked as large rectangular loaves and named after a neighbourhood in Lagos where it gained popularity and was distributed from. The potential for a viable business became apparent, if they could capture the market for Agege bread, they could establish a successful enterprise.
To start his business, Rabiu, who had experience in sales and marketing, first analyzed the market size, distribution channels, and how to reach customers. He approached stores catering to the African and Caribbean diaspora to gauge their interest in buying his bakery's loaves. After gathering this information, Rabiu researched the necessary steps to establish a business in Ontario, including licensing and registrations. As for funding, he decided to use his own savings instead of seeking government grants or approaching local banks.
Fast forward to today, the company has expanded to include two bakeries, four franchises, and a presence in more than 350 stores across the country.
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