New restaurant owner mixes Algonquin College into their recipe for success
Posted on Friday, October 11th, 2024
During her studies, Ibukun Olubiyi lived in many cities and attended three educational institutions, but her time in Ottawa at Algonquin
College stuck with her so much that when she needed to choose a location to live and open a business, she selected the National Capital Region.
“This feels like home to me,” said Olubiyi, the new independent franchise owner-operator of Chick-fil-A Tanger Ottawa. After she graduated from the Chick-fil-A three-year Leadership Development Program she said that “Ottawa is where I have felt like home.”
A similar positive connection with Algonquin College was top of mind when looking for a place to find employees.
When looking to staff the new restaurant located at 3000 Palladium Drive in Stittsville, Olubiyi employed her workforce using AC Hire. The online resource is a portal for students and grads and was a way Olubiyi was able to fill the 110 positions she had open.
The 2013 graduate of the Human Resources Management program said what she learned at the College helped her prepare for her current role. “The thing the program did for me is help me understand people resources and (have) a good understanding from recruiting to onboarding to understanding the right candidate.”
Since opening in July, Olubiyi has been pleased with the community response. “Things have been so going so well,” she said. “So far it has been great, very positive. We put a lot of effort into making sure we had a successful opening. We wanted to make sure people were in and out and had good food. People have the kindest words to say.”
Her connection to community includes establishing a partnership with the Kanata Food Cupboard, which receives food donations twice a week as part of the company’s shared table program. According to Olubiyi, the food donation allows “shelters to take chicken fillets and repurpose them as ingredients for other dishes.”
She said her short-term goal is to have a positive influence on the city and “serve great food and show exceptional hospitality and care. Her long-term goal includes creating a “positive impact in Ottawa through great opportunities for her team members (including scholarships).” She said she currently has a diverse mix of people with varied backgrounds. “I want to create a lasting positive impact throughout the city.” Olubiyi also said she looks forward “partnering with as many (local businesses) as possible.”
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