Towering the Tamarind ladder

Tricia Wanjala

The Tamarind Group of restaurants own restaurants such as the Nairobi and Mombasa Tamarind, The Carnivore and the Tamambo restaurants at The Mall, Village Market and at Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens.

Liza Uku, 35, has risen to the top of the hospitality industry by dint of hard work and passion. As General Manager of the Mombasa Tamarind complex, she has won her patrons’ hearts.

As General Manager of the Mombasa Tamarind complex, Liza Uku stands out as unique in a distinctly male-dominated industry, not because of her gender, but because of her outstanding performance. Her role is manifold, as she explains: "I oversee the operations within the four units, that is, Tamarind Restaurant the oldest seafood restaurant in East Africa), the Tamarind Dhows (floating seafood restaurants), the Tamarind Village (furnished and serviced apartments) and to a certain extent the Golden Key Casino. I’m in charge of operations, finance, marketing and business development."

Enjoy the challenge

How did Liza get into the hotel industry?

"I knew from an early age that I wanted to be in the service industry and particularly in hospitality. I did a Bachelors degree in Business majoring in Hotel Management at the Australian International Hotel School in Canberra, Australia. I enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding people’s expectations in my job."

Growing up with a father who was a career diplomat, Liza and her four siblings lived with their parents in Zambia, India, Washington and Pakistan. Her cosmopolitan background prepared her well for the variety of personalities she deals with, and having been assimilated into several cultures, Liza developed fine people skills to be able to interact well with anyone.

Says she: "My education and background gave me the confidence to be who I am. It also taught me to question things. The opportunities we had to travel growing up allowed me to interact with so many different people and I think that was a great education in itself. Working abroad in different restaurants and hotels definitely helped me grow in this industry.

"It taught me flexibility — how to think fast on my feet. I have used the different experiences to horn my leadership skills."

During our interview, it was easy to see from her gestures and animated delivery, that Liza is deeply passionate about making her guests happy.

She explains enthusiastically: "I have to work closely with the management team to ensure we exceed our guests’ expectations and maintain the quality of food and service that we have been known for. When you are in the restaurant or doing an event, it is like you are on stage, performing and giving people an experience. I love it when a guest comes back to the restaurant after 20 years and orders the Chilli Crab and says it tastes exactly like it did 20 years ago. It’s about giving people an experience and joyful memories and I love it when we achieve that."

The down side of her job is that sometimes patrons are unhappy. "When we do not deliver, it is heartbreaking for me," she says.

All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl, and Liza is by no means dull. For relaxation she enjoys baking cakes and pastries as well as gourmet cooking.

"I enjoy trying out different recipes and experimenting. Truth be told, my heart lies more with baking and I wish I did it more! I would like to develop my cake icing skills," she says.

She also loves to watch movies and laugh and enjoys a strong bond of affection with her four sisters.

Says she: "My family and my friends have excellent senses of humour so I just need to be around them for a good laugh. A good comedy show or movie is also welcome anytime."

But Liza describes her professional journey as "challenging, exhilarating and full of surprises — a real roller coaster ride."

She is unfazed by the fact that hers is a male-dominated industry and instead prefers to concentrate on getting the job done.

"To be honest, if you look at a lot of hotels, most of the general managers are men. But I think I am as capable as any man. Hard work got me where I am today," she says.

Personal philosophy

She does admit that in the hospitality industry, dealing with people is challenging.

Her personal philosophy is: "Remember not to take it personally and do not be afraid to get up every time you fall."

An avid reader, Liza’s favourite authors include John Maxwell, Ben Carson, Robert Schuller, Barbara Johnson and Paulo Coelho.

One of her most cherished sayings is by Nelson Mandela: "There is no passion found in playing small and settling for a life that is less than what you are capable of living."

In harmony with that, her goal is to open a hotel management school in the future.

She says: "I believe there is still a lot more that we can do with training in this industry as there is still not enough of it. This industry needs people who are passionate about what they do."

Liza’s parting words encapsulate the Tamarind team ethos: "Attitude is the key to success. You may have the ability but if your attitude is wrong, you will not get very far."