Many of Lagos’ independent food businesses begin with modest resources, a small customer base and an entrepreneur determined to build something bigger.

For Adesunloye Ebenezer Adeola, founder of Freaks and Fabulous Eats, that journey began with less than ₦20,000. Adeola started by selling shawarma and small chops to neighbours in Anthony Village. What began with WhatsApp orders and word-of-mouth recommendations has grown into an independent food business fulfilling more than 100 orders each week through the food delivery platform Swoop.

An early turning point came at the Anthony Village Community Fair, where Adeola sold all 50 packs prepared for the event in a single day. The customer base then expanded steadily, supported by digital payments, an Instagram presence and a WhatsApp catalogue. Daily orders increased from approximately five to more than 30, creating opportunities for corporate lunch deliveries, private events and catering across Lagos.

“That was the day I realised this could be more than a hobby,” Adeola recalled. “I started small, selling to people around me, but I knew I wanted to build something bigger. Every order was an opportunity to prove ourselves, earn a customer’s trust and get someone to come back.”

Adeola’s experience has helped inspire Swoop Legends, a new growth programme intended to support Lagos’ independent food businesses with tools, visibility and practical assistance.

The programme reflects Swoop’s view that food businesses need more than a listing on a delivery app. Through Swoop Legends, the company said it is expanding its role from connecting restaurants with customers to investing in the growth of independent merchants and helping them access new opportunities.

“Lagos is full of incredibly talented food entrepreneurs who have built remarkable businesses through hard work, creativity and determination. But even the best businesses need the right opportunities to grow,” said Steven Osiegbu, Account Management Lead at Swoop. “With Swoop Legends, we want to go beyond providing a platform for merchants to sell their food. We want to work closely with them, understand their ambitions and provide meaningful support to help them build businesses that can thrive.”

Selected merchants will receive dedicated account management, marketing materials, promotional support, greater visibility within the Swoop app and weekly performance reports. The reports are intended to help merchants understand their sales and identify opportunities for growth. Swoop said the programme is designed to provide continuing support rather than simply list a restaurant and wait for customers to find it.

Swoop Legends will also use a tiered rewards structure recognising businesses as they develop. Participating merchants can progress through four levels: Hidden Gem, Rising Star, Local Favourite and Swoop Legend. Each level carries additional benefits tied to performance and completed-order milestones, including commission rebates, promotional co-funding, dedicated advertising and priority placement within the app. The milestone-based design ties Swoop’s support to merchants’ actual sales performance, giving both sides a measurable benchmark as businesses climb the tiers.

Eligible merchants may also be considered for working-capital or growth financing, subject to individual assessment and approval. For merchants like Adeola, who described limited access to capital as an ongoing pressure, that financing pathway speaks most directly to the constraint.

For independent food businesses, expanding beyond an immediate community can require additional investment, stronger visibility and improved access to customers. Adeola said Freaks and Fabulous Eats continues to face operational pressures despite its growth, including rising ingredient costs, limited access to capital, traffic congestion and electricity disruptions — pressures that tend to intensify as order volumes climb. As the business has taken on corporate catering and larger orders, maintaining consistent quality and reliable delivery has become increasingly important.

“People remember how your food tastes, how it looks and how you treat them when something goes wrong. We have learnt that you must be consistent, respond quickly, deliver when you promise and take responsibility when you make a mistake,” Adeola said.

As the founding Swoop Legend, Freaks and Fabulous Eats will also be among the first businesses featured through Local Legends, a storytelling initiative focused on the entrepreneurs, experiences and achievements behind Lagos’ independent food brands.

“Being a Swoop Legend is not just an award; it is a responsibility. It means our hard work, consistency and the love our customers have shown us are being recognised. It also means representing other young Nigerian food entrepreneurs who started with very little but are determined to build something meaningful,” Adeola added.

Swoop Legends will begin with an eight-week pilot involving five merchants: Freaks and Fabulous Eats, two existing Swoop merchants and two newly acquired businesses. During the pilot, Swoop will work with each merchant to identify growth opportunities, connect them with new customers and increase sales through targeted marketing, greater visibility and dedicated commercial support. The eight-week structure gives the programme a clear early checkpoint: the performance insights from those five merchants will show whether the support package translates into measurable sales growth, and will shape how Swoop Legends develops from there.

The company said regular performance insights will help Swoop and participating merchants identify the factors driving growth, refine their approach and establish a stronger foundation for their operations.

The initiative is intended for independent restaurants, emerging food brands and other promising food businesses seeking to expand their reach and strengthen their operations. Merchants may be selected through direct engagement with Swoop’s account management team, referrals or a dedicated application process.

Customers will be able to discover and support participating Legends through the Swoop app and WhatsApp ordering channel, connecting them with independent food businesses and the people behind them.

For Swoop, the programme represents a broader commitment to entrepreneurs contributing to Lagos’ food culture. The company said it aims to combine technology, marketing investment and hands-on business support to help more local food businesses build sustainable operations, reach new customers and pursue their growth ambitions.