Tottenham business had faced closure after struggling to recover from pandemic
By Olivia Opara

Chuku's Nigerian Tapas Restaurant owners Ifeyinwa and Emeka Frederick — Chuku’s Nigerian Tapas Restaurant owners Ifeyinwa and Emeka Frederick

A Seven Sisters restaurant has been saved from closure following a successful social media campaign.

Chuku’s Nigerian Tapas Restaurant launched a ‘six week charge’ at the end of October with a goal of hitting 600 bookings by 11th December and the restaurant managed to hit the target within days of launching the campaign – even surpassing it with an extra 200 bookings.

The campaign’s launch video went viral, gaining almost 700,000 views across Instagram and Twitter, with retweets from high-profile figures including supermodel Jourdan Dunn and Nigerian England rugby star Maro Itoje.

The sibling duo behind Chuku’s, Ifeyinwa and Emeka Frederick, said they were “deeply moved” and that support came in “thick and fast”. Ifeyinwa added: “From the bottom of our hearts, we want to say thank you. When we launched the six week charge, we thought that 600 bookings might be too ambitious. To have surpassed that by over 200 is incredible and a testament to the power and importance of community.

“Things definitely don’t stop here – we want to keep sharing our take on Nigerian cuisine and culture with you.”

During the campaign, many across Tottenham and beyond dined at the restaurant to show their support. Notable diners were Nigeria’s football captain and Watford FC defender William Troost-Ekong, Labour MP Diane Abbott, Olympic gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu, TV and radio presenter Yinka Bokinni, Top Boy actor Jolade Obasola, and Great British Bake Off quarter-finalist Benjamina Ebuehi.

Plans are underway for a celebration of the success of the campaign in the new year as a way to thank everyone who supported the campaign. Located in Tottenham High Road near Seven Sisters tube, Chuku’s opened in 2020 with the mantra “chop, chat, chill” just five weeks before the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced. But the multiple lockdowns that followed, paired with staff shortages, left the restaurant struggling to survive.

Thanks to the campaign, Chuku’s will now continue to stay open during the festive season, into the new year and continue to bring the richness and beauty of Nigerian culture and its value of community spirit.

Emeka said: “We are so grateful that we can keep on celebrating the best of Nigerian cuisine and culture for now. Community support is the lifeblood of independent businesses, and they need that support more than ever.

“So please, keep supporting and making noise about the local businesses you love to keep them at the heart of our communities.”

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