Custodian Interview: Eat Drink Lagos

Eat Drink Lagos is one of our favorite Nigerian blogs. It has taken its place as the premier food site for millenials this side of the world. As they’re staging the Eat Drink Festival to showcase some of the best food vendors around, we caught up with them to get their story and the thought process/inspiration behind it.

Find the excerpts of the conversation with the brains behind it (Nosa and Folly)

Okay, first let’s find out about the blog and its origins. It fulfilled a clear gap in the market. How did it come to life?

NOSA: We used to get lunch a lot and talk about random stuff. I always wanted a food blog and I told her about it.

FOLLY: This isn’t the first food blog I’ve ever written, once upon a time I had a food blog which I used to post the meals for one I made while I was in University. EDL obviously has nothing to do with that and I never really had a plan to start a blog like this.

What was the inspiration and design behind it and how did you imagine it would all play out?

NOSA: I’m a huge fan of minimalism. Absolutely hate websites with all the clutter so when we built the site, we put a premium on white space.

FOLLY: When I came up with the name “Eat.Drink.Lagos” and told Nosa, in my head I imagined it exactly how it’s stylized on the the blog and everywhere the name appears with the dots in bold uppercase and the period in between the words. However, I didn’t mention this to Nosa before he made the first site, so when he showed me what he had come up with for feedback, I was very excited because it was exactly what I was thinking.

NOSA: The blog is heavily inspired by Eater and Bitches Who Brunch. We’ve mentioned it on twitter before, Bitches Who Brunch have the best food snapchat.

There’s a clear effort on you guy’s part to preserve some anonymity. Why is this and do you see it changing anytime soon?

NOSA: Personally, I don’t like the attention that comes with it. My parents don’t even know I own this blog. I can log off and nobody knows I’m Eat.Drink.Lagos. Nobody is going to pour hot stew on me because I didn’t like their restaurant.

FOLLY: I don’t think there’s a place for personal pictures on the blog. It’s the same way it offends me when I see Nigerian brands and restaurants with the personal pictures, for example pictures of their children on the Instagram page.

NOSA: Eventually, it’ll change. It’s inevitable. The other day, I made a couple of Ice Cream Factory jokes on the twitter and 10 mins later, the owner gives me a call. Said he got my number from his sister or something. So yeah, eventually, it’ll change.

For those who aren’t familiar with it, explain the concept behind the Lunch Club?

NOSA: It’s a monthly intimate supper club. We get 10 random people to come share an experience with us and it’s a different experience every month.

FOLLY: The spot we choose to go to each month is essentially our favourite spot at the moment that we feel we need to share with others so they know too, how amazing it is.

What’s the revenue looking like? Everyday eating out can’t exactly be the most pocket friendly experience.

NOSA: It’s not enough to quit our day jobs, but it’s enough to pay for our more expensive meals.

FOLLY: We’re trying.

Talk us through the review process. Is what we see on the blog a first take or do you guys have a conversation and then pick out the compelling and witty parts?

NOSA: Lol…insider secrets

FOLLY: One of the top questions we get.

Now let’s get a bit personal. What do you enjoy about working with the other person and what do you dislike most?

NOSA: Folayemi is very organized and is great at project management. I worry a lot about things so I really appreciate how calm she is.

FOLLY: Nosa’s attention to detail is great and I love having someone else to bounce ideas off cause I always want/need a second opinion.

Tomorrow’s the Eat Drink Festival. How did you guys decide you wanted to go down that path and what has the organizing experience been like?

NOSA: We were at Mente de Moda for her gift store and I noticed how people were only buying food. None of the other stuff. So I’m like, “hey, we should do a Mente de Moda…but for food” and here we are.

FOLLY: Challenging. If I didn’t have my regular job during working hours it might have been easier.

NOSA: Organizing this has been incredibly stressful. If we do this again, we HAVE to get an event planner or something.

What are the major peeves that have come with this?

NOSA: Vendors not replying emails. People not replying emails is like a personal pet peeve so vendors not replying emails gets on my nerves so much.

FOLLY: Same as Nosa said, I can’t deal either.

Also, what’s up with the copycat?

NOSA: Trash. Allow it.

We know you’re probably not allowed to say this but let’s try what vendors are you looking forward to most at the festival?

NOSA: I’m looking forward to Goodness Gracious. I really want to try her Mac n’ Cheese. Biscuit Bone too, I want to try her shaki toastie. I’m not looking forward to it per se, but Smokey Bone’s has a BBQ Chicken sandwich that’s really good. Tried it the other day.

FOLLY: I really want to try a boozy popsicle from Smigz Mobile Bars, Kitchen Butterfly cause I feel this is my one shot, as well as wine from Fat Bastard (one of our sponsors).