In 2023, Amoke Odukoya, founder of the renowned Amoke Oge restaurant, revealed she started her food business with less than N200,000. Just two years later, her entrepreneurial journey reached a staggering milestone, with her business generating N2.3 billion in revenue and completing over 500,000 deliveries on the food platform Chowdeck. This achievement makes Amoke Oge the first female-led food business on Chowdeck to hit half a million deliveries.
Humble Beginnings in Araromi
In an interview with City People Magazine in 2023, Amoke Oke (as she’s also known) shared that she learned how to cook from her mother, a food vendor in Araromi, Oyo State. She further refined her culinary skills under her elder sister, Saudi Alamala, a respected food vendor in Bariga, Lagos, starting in 1999.
“I learned more from her before I started mine seven years ago,” she said.
Initially, she cooked at parties and social gatherings, gradually establishing her reputation. In 2015, she opened her first shop in Bawala, Pedro, Lagos—not primarily to make money, but simply because she enjoyed cooking. Even now, she continues to cook despite managing a rapidly growing business.
Steady Growth and Expansion
After launching her first branch in 2015, it took three years before she could scale up her operations. Between 2018 and 2023, Amoke Oge expanded her footprint from one to seven branches, including her latest store in Ikoyi. She credits her sisters, Saudi Alta and Ashabi Alamala, for mentoring her throughout the journey.
The turning point came when she joined food delivery platforms like Glovo and Chowdeck. As one of the initial 100 vendors to partner with Chowdeck, her growth accelerated. Femi Aluko, CEO and co-founder of Chowdeck, praised her contribution:
“Amoke was one of our first 100 restaurants, and this is great news for us."
Chowdeck’s Rise and Market Impact
Founded in 2021, Chowdeck entered Nigeria’s burgeoning food delivery industry, which was valued at approximately $834.7 million at the time. The sector was mainly dominated by players like Bolt, Glovo, and Jumia, covering about 20% of household food spending in Nigeria.
Since its launch, Chowdeck has expanded to eight cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, and others. In 2023, it crossed N1 billion in monthly GMV (Gross Merchandise Value). By October 2024, the platform had processed over N30 billion in total deliveries and grown from 319 users in its first month to over 1 million registered users. The platform has become the preferred choice for many restaurants, including an exclusive partnership with Chicken Republic.
Transformative Impact for Vendors
Amoke Oge recounts how her business transformed after joining Chowdeck. Before this partnership, her stores faced jam-packed queues, frustrated customers, and overwhelmed staff. Post-partnership, foot traffic to her physical stores decreased as more orders shifted online, yet her revenue soared.
This aligns with Jean Tirole’s economic theory on platforms, which serve as intermediaries creating more value by connecting buyers and sellers efficiently. Chowdeck handles logistics, orders, and deliveries, freeing Amoke Oge to focus on her core competency—cooking—reaching customers she might never have encountered otherwise.
Other Success Stories on Chowdeck
Amoke Oge’s story is not unique. On May 13, 2025, Chowdeck announced that Korede Spaghetti, a vendor operating from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), had processed N1 billion worth of orders. Korede credited Chowdeck with solving 80% of its logistical challenges, enabling the business to expand beyond campus walls and serve a larger customer base.
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