Nigerian local restaurants are called ‘Buka,’ short for Bukateria, especially in the Southwestern part of the country. Some people also refer to this place as ‘Mama put’. This is a place where cooked foods are being sold. It is majorly a small building erected with planks, with benches for customers to sit.
Bukateria in this part of the world is always named according to the owner’s offspring. Names like Mama Nkechi, Iya Basira, to mention a few, are been used. Bukateria has been rescuing bachelors, students, and menial job workers from ages past. It is also home to the Nigerian road drivers who patronize the ones beside their garages. Here are five types of people you will find in this public place:
THE FOODIES: These are the people who gain the attention of other people here. They order for food as if it is meant for a whole family. The sit comfortably as they get set to devour their mound of food. They call for everything available (hand towel, sanitizer, toothpicks, wash-hand basin). They ask for more soup, thereafter, more food, especially swallow (more wraps of eba/fufu/amala). It will surprise you that these people rush their foods as if they are already late for a ground-breaking contract/job interview.
THE SHY CUSTOMERS: Most times, the shy ones are ladies who were brought by their boy/man friend. They’ll have to be forced to order. When they finally do, they ask for small quantities of food. It is not that they can’t finish larger quantities, but eating outside their homes is not their thing. They take each morsel of food at long intervals as if they are being scouted by all the eyes in the restaurant.
THE FORMERS: These are the set of people who act as if they are in KFC. They get the food servers to clean the benches, ask for new hand towels, sanitizers and wash their hands with sachet/bottled water. If they order food, such as tuwo, fufu, eba, pounded yam or semo, they make use of cutleries (spoon, table knife and fork). They complain about the look of things but never cease to show up at the place.
THE BEGGARS: These people hang around the food joint believing they will get their daily bread. Some stay outside greeting incoming customers like an usher would while some sit indoors, popping a solemn beg towards a customer. They will say three wraps of food is enough and there’s no need for meat. You’ll receive a lot of prayers from these people, such that would come from a G.O, if you dance to their tune.
THE CHAIRMEN: As Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga said, when he meets his fans in a buka, he will pay for their bill. Yes! The chairmen are the ones who show up at the bukateria and are hailed by the food seller, including some customers. The food seller already knows their usual order. They eat and have leftovers even if it a small quantity of food. They stick with their ‘Chairman’ title by dashing out money and paying the bills of others in the bukateria.
If you have not experienced the lifestyle of Nigerians in a local restaurant, try and visit to see these categories of people. You can as well drop more if you are a member – just like me.
