MEET THE LEADING CHOPBAR OPERATOR AT HO (PAGE 11)

Story: Tim Dzamboe, Ho

At the age of 12, Ms Augusta Adjei a.k.a Agbenorhevi, started offering a helping hand to her mother in the sale of cooked food in the village of Likpe–Kukurantumi in the Volta Region.
She upheld every principle in the traditional culinary methods learnt from her mother diligently, and today she has become the leading chop bar operator in Ho in the Volta Region.
Recently, she inaugurated modern chop bar in Ho, which is a grand expansion of the business she established in 1974.
The new chop bar complex comprises a dining hall, kitchen, four changing rooms, a washroom and car park. Menu served at the restaurant are “fufu,” “banku,” “ampesi” and “omuo tuo” with variety of soup to match.
Speaking at the ceremony, an elated Agbenorhevi said she started on a modest level with “gari” and beans and “ampesi” in 1974 and by 1983 she was able to set up the first chop bar.
Having won the best traditional caterer award in the Volta Region under the auspices of the Ghana Tourists Board Tourism Awards programme on four occasions, Agbenorhevi has resolved further to develop her enterprise as a family business.
To this end, she has trained two attendants, Esi and Enyo, in the management of the facilities and also accord customers warm reception at the bars.
“You see I want to give my customers the best of what they want to eat, so that they are satisfied and I will equally be satisfied”, she remarked.
In public life, Agbenorhevi had been an inspirer to many women in the society, especially the women’s group of her church, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana at Ho-Bankoe
She has invested in the education of her children to the university level with one presently at the Central University College in Accra.
Agbenorhevi has also made some donations towards the development of the community and church and also to needy persons who approached her for help.
The ceremony to mark the launch of the expansion project was held in January, this year, during the arrival of many visitors to the country for the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations Tournament, which was held in the country recently.
The building was dedicated by Reverend O.K. Pida of the Ho-Bankoe Evangelical Presbyterian Church, with assistance from the catechist, Mrs E.M. Edu-Yao.