Nativ, the multi award winning authentic soul food West African and Caribbean restaurant, owned by Prince and Dorothy Ogbuji, is celebrating ten successful years in the restaurant business.
Originally from Nigeria, Prince and Dorothy moved to Bournemouth in 2005. They opened their first restaurant in Boscombe in 2009 and moved to their current premises in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth in 2015.
Nativ serves quality West African and Caribbean soul food, which can be eaten in the restaurant with its contemporary traditional décor or can be delivered as a takeaway and can often be seen at pop up events in the area.
Prince Ogbuji said: “We are so proud to have reach our 10th anniversary of the Nativ restaurants. It was always our dream to open a business in the hospitality industry, and we fell in love with Bournemouth. It hasn’t always been easy, and it was thanks to the help of other business owners, as well as our hard work and determination that enabled us to start our own business and build it into what it is today.”
“Looking back over the years, we started selling online out of our garage at home. We worked hard to build up the business and added festivals and events which saw regulars return and the business expand.”
Since Nativ started, it’s always been their goal to provide the best quality food at affordable prices and to grow an independent restaurant business into a top brand. This year they launched their special student budget menu specifically for the student population. In May 2019, Nativ opened their first franchise in Southampton and are making a commitment to work with local communities in both Dorset and Hampshire with more events and a pop up.
Nativ has won multiple awards locally and nationally which include BHStars, the BAPTAs and The Great Taste Awards for the Nativ hot sauce. They are a member of the Guild of Fine Food of England and Wales.