Running a restaurant wasn't exactly in the plans for Rui and Dulce Teixeira, however,with the restaurant ,Joita's, practically landing in their laps through an unexpected turn of events, they believed it happened for a reason.

Both Rui and Dulce have had their own business before, therefore,owning and running a business was not a new concept for the two of them.

From day one, Dulce especially, threw her entire heart, body and soul into making her new venture a success. “I firmly believe that you reap what you sow “says Dulce. While Joita's peri-peri chicken was already a well-known brand in Umhlanga when they took over the business, they knew that there were many areas for improvement in the business and had the potential for growth.

"I have always been passionate about food and people, so the restaurant was the perfect opportunity to marry the two. I took the existing menu and added my own personal touch to it by adding certain items and adding an 'off the menu list' which typically offers Portuguese foods ".

As the seasons change the Teixeira's plan to adapt their menu to suit the time of the year and the availability of produce. Dulce prides herself in spending many hours in the kitchen with her staff to ensure consistent quality of food and gives each meal that is prepared tender loving care.

Dulce has formed strong relationships with both her staff and suppliers. “It's important for us to build these relationships so that we understand what we expect of each other”, she explains. Dulce believes that top quality produce are what makes all the difference to the end product. “I have loved meeting all of our different customers and have spent time getting to know them and making sure each table is happy”, our main focus is to have happy satisfied customers all the time".