ACCRA BREWERY LIMITED (ABL) CELEBRATES THE WOMEN BEHIND OUR CLUB “CHARLIE” CHOP BARS

19th March, 2018

Since our story began in 1931, Accra Brewery Limited (ABL) has produced CLUB Premium Lager, Ghana’s quintessential beer as part of the country’s heritage. We continue to provide our customers with several alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages nationwide. Today, we are a proud part of the ABInBev family, the world’s largest brewer.

We are deeply committed to creating a Better World through brands and experiences that bring people together. To achieve this, we invest in a Growing world where everyone has the opportunity to improve their livelihood. As part of our Dream, we are proud to celebrate some of our women whose lives have been impacted through CLUB Beer’s “Charlie” Chop Bar initiative.

In 2017, approximately 54 local outlets were selected and certified as “Charlie” chop bars. These chop bars, which were refurbished and painted, also received CLUB-branded items including: refrigerators, hand washing bowls, menu boards, aprons, napkins, asankas, furniture and improved signages for the premises. An additional 200 chop bars also received branded items without full painting of their chop bars across the country.

Today we celebrate Madam Doris Awuah, the owner of Biggies Spot, located in Tema, Community 11, as a proud certified “Charlie” Chop Bar operator.

Madam Doris Awuah of Biggies Spot - CLUB “Charlie” Chop Bar

Madam Doris Awuah is from Agona Nsabaa in the Central Region of Ghana, and she loves to cook and serve the patrons of her business.

After completing her education at the Nsabaa Presbyterian Boarding School, Madam Doris Awuah relocated to Tema where she was employed at Big Base chop bar located at Community 2. After 4 years of working at Big Base chop bar, Madam Doris Awuah established Biggies Spot located at Community 11 in Tema.

In 2017, ABL partnered with her to rebrand her chop bar. During an interview with her, Madam Doris Awuah mentioned that, “the early stages of Biggies were not rosy. I had only two workers, with just ‘Omotuo’ (rice balls) and groundnut soup on the menu”. Also, she had a low customer base with intense competition since there were about three other chop bars in the same geographic area. She further stated that “I would have given up on the dream if I had not held onto my faith in God and my focus to succeed in the midst of the hardships”.

Becoming a certified “Charlie” chop bar-Partnering with CLUB Beer

Madam Doris Awuah describes her partnership with ABL as “God-sent”. She stated that “ABL came into the picture in 2017 through an initial interaction with a patron who represented that business and explained the chop bar initiative”. Initially, ABL supplied the chop bar with a branded cooler stocked with CLUB beer and other products.

Over time, ABL’s partnership with Biggies Spot resulted in the increase of Madam Awuah’s customer base and expansion of her food menu. Several patrons visited the chop bar and enjoyed the variety of food she had added to the menu. Madam Awuah stated that "before the branding, I didn’t even serve palm-nut soup, and now I have all the local soups you can think of."

With ice-cold CLUB beer, Ghana’s number one selling beer, in stock, for a refreshing complement to her Ghanaian food, groups of friends continue to meet at Biggies Spot, making their meal times another great occasion for bonding. She mentioned that Biggies, now a certified “Charlie” chop bar, prides itself in the ability to provide home-made style top-notch quality food served in a clean environment.

The Success Story

Today, this small business, which started with 2 employees, now boasts of approximately 15 employees with a growing team.

Madam Doris Awuah believes that the partnership with ABL has transformed her life, and changed the reputation and appearance of Biggies Spot. During her interview, she was asked if the rebranding of the chop bar has improved her finances, and she smiled saying…“as for the money, it is good, and I would not have had this high patronage as I have now without it. “Initially, I could not boast of up to 50 customers patronizing Biggies Spot per day, however, I currently serve an average of two hundred and forty (240) customers daily.”

With her experience as a hardworking woman from Agona Nsabaa to establishing a business in Tema, Madam Doris believes that all other entrepreneurs should not be discouraged when the early stages of their business is difficult. She encourages everyone to “look up to God in everything and take the entrepreneurship journey one day at a time”. In addition, “women in business need to be pushed and encouraged with similar opportunities as ABL has given me.” She concluded saying that with ABL’s CLUB “Charlie” Chop Bar initiative, Biggies Spot will be expanding in the next few years. “In not more than 3 years, they will be making leaps and bounds in the hospitality industry.”

Accra Brewery Limited continues to focus on enriching the lives of chop bar business owners across the length and breadth of Ghana.