Mr. Bigg's
Encyclopedia
Mr. Bigg's is Nigeria
's first chain
of fast food
restaurants. Owned by conglomerate United African Company of Nigeria PLC
, there are currently around 170 locations in Nigeria, including the country's first drive-through restaurant, with another four locations in Ghana
.
The restaurant is styled after McDonald's
, and is known for its red and yellow colour scheme and meat pie
s. Mr. Bigg's history begins with the coffee shops inside Kingsway Department Stores in the 1960s. In 1973, these shops were rebranded as Kingsway Rendezvous, which became Mr. Bigg's in 1986. The chain saw rapid expansion after becoming one of the first Nigerian companies to sell franchises
to investors.
Mr. Bigg's specialty is the meat pie
. A common lunch might also include scotch egg
s, a sugared donut
, chicken
, and a soft drink
. While western fare such as hamburgers is served, Nigerian delicacies such as jollof rice
and moin moin
are more popular. Birthday cakes are also a popular product, and Mr. Bigg's bakery offers cakes and pastries.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
's first chain
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
of fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
restaurants. Owned by conglomerate United African Company of Nigeria PLC
United African Company of Nigeria PLC
For over a century, United Africa Company of Nigeria plc has distinguished itself as a major contributor to the Nigerian economy. Its areas of operation include manufacturing, services, logistics and warehousing, agricultural and real estate...
, there are currently around 170 locations in Nigeria, including the country's first drive-through restaurant, with another four locations in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, and is known for its red and yellow colour scheme and meat pie
Meat pie
A meat pie is a savoury pie with a filling of meat and other savoury ingredients. Principally popular in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, meat pies differ from a pasty in the sense that a pasty is typically a more portable, on-the-go item, as opposed to a more conventional pie.-History:The...
s. Mr. Bigg's history begins with the coffee shops inside Kingsway Department Stores in the 1960s. In 1973, these shops were rebranded as Kingsway Rendezvous, which became Mr. Bigg's in 1986. The chain saw rapid expansion after becoming one of the first Nigerian companies to sell franchises
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
to investors.
Mr. Bigg's specialty is the meat pie
Meat pie
A meat pie is a savoury pie with a filling of meat and other savoury ingredients. Principally popular in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, meat pies differ from a pasty in the sense that a pasty is typically a more portable, on-the-go item, as opposed to a more conventional pie.-History:The...
. A common lunch might also include scotch egg
Scotch egg
A Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in a sausage meat mixture, coated in breadcrumbs or rolled oats, and deep-fried...
s, a sugared donut
DONUT
DONUT was an experiment at Fermilab dedicated to the search for tau neutrino interactions. Even though the detector operated only during a few months in the summer of 1997, it was largely successful. By detecting the tau neutrino, it confirmed the existence of the last lepton predicted by the...
, chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, and a soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
. While western fare such as hamburgers is served, Nigerian delicacies such as jollof rice
Jollof rice
Jollof rice, also called 'Benachin' meaning one pot in the Wolof language, is a popular dish all over West Africa. It is thought to have originated in The Gambia but has since spread to the whole of West Africa, especially Nigeria and Ghana amongst members of the Wolof ethnic group.There are many...
and moin moin
Moin moin
Moinmoin is a Nigerian steamed bean pudding made from a mixture of washed and peeled black-eyed beans, onions and fresh ground peppers . It is advisable not to add tomatoes as this prevents the ingredients from forming a gelatinous end product. It is a protein-rich food that is a staple in Nigeria...
are more popular. Birthday cakes are also a popular product, and Mr. Bigg's bakery offers cakes and pastries.