Tomiwa Olayemi: Building The Father Chow At UNILAG

On most Nigerian university campuses, food queues are almost unavoidable. For Tomiwa Olayemi, founder of The Father Chow, it started with the frustration of standing in long lines just to buy what he loves: bread and eggs. He realized that long queues at food places stem from having only a few competent hands around. This realization is the seed that later grew into The Father Chow, now one of the biggest student-run food businesses on the University of Lagos campus.

From a Sandwich Idea To a Student Food Brand

The Father Chow started in January 2022, born out of necessity and vision. Tomiwa believes that hunger is universal regardless of status, and food is a necessity that never goes out of demand. Beyond feeding students, he also saw an opportunity to create an income stream for other students like him who were struggling to make ends meet. To achieve his vision, he created a commission-based system that allowed students to earn while working with the brand. His vision was to create an ecosystem where students can get fed and paid. 

By 2024, the business gained more voice and recognition after a long strike that almost halted their operations. Instead of folding up, what began as a simple bread and egg sandwich expanded.

Behind the growth were challenges that tested his grit. Tomiwa explains how balancing academics and entrepreneurship was the hardest part of his journey. He recalls how he skipped several classes during the 2023/2024 session and showed up almost only on his exam days. This decision took a huge toll on his academics as his CGPA dropped drastically. There were also operational struggles like coordinating workers, managing deliveries, and understanding business technicalities. At first, he focused more on cash flow than profit. He later realized that mistake the hard way. 

The Turning Point

A major highlight of his journey is winning the Business Innovation and Talent Expression (BITE) 2.0 competition in 2024. He recounts how one of the judges had previously rejected his pitch. Beyond the prize money, which was later doubled, the recognition from this particular judge affirmed that even those who say no to ideas still watch, and that ideas in their early stages still matter.

Today, Tomiwa Olayemi’s approach to entrepreneurship has evolved. He has learned to build systems, delegate responsibilities, and understand the technical part of running an efficient business. More importantly, he has realized that sustainable business is built on relationships, not just sales. These lessons helped him shape The Father Chow into a readily available food brand that creates jobs and has become a campus staple.

The Next Chapter For Tomiwa And The Father Chow

Today, Tomiwa Olayemi has grown The Father Chow into a recognized food brand at UNILAG. The Father Chow is now in talks with partners to turn an outdoor space into a Community Dining and Creative Hub Cafe. He hopes to expand and replicate this idea across campuses in Nigeria while continuing to create employment opportunities for students.

Reflecting on his journey, his advice to young entrepreneurs is to see failure as their first real lesson and document it rather than running away from it. For him, entrepreneurship is no longer about food but about building something that serves people and fosters community in and beyond campuses. Tomiwa’s journey shows how ordinary frustration can spark profitable ventures.