N'taya Alfa, 21, from Bebington, is the owner of The Buddha Bar, a café in Brimstage Courtyard on the Wirral. She opened the business in May 2024 after leaving a job at McDonald's and dropping out of sixth form.
From McDonald's to café owner
Before getting the keys to the venue, N'taya was working at McDonald's, where she also ran kitchens. She told the ECHO that she had no previous business experience and had never done anything like it before. She said: "It was a completely different change and a really big step, but it was worth it. I just threw myself into it. I didn't have any previous experience in business and I'd never done anything like it before. I actually dropped out of sixth form for a little while, although I did go back for prom!"
The café is located in Brimstage Courtyard, which is home to a number of independent businesses, including three new arrivals: Solo Bread, Edge & Sons and Little Farm Shop. N'taya's mother has a hair salon upstairs, and the free space underneath inspired the idea for the café.
Healthy food at a good price
N'taya said she wanted to offer healthy food at a reasonable price because she believes everyone should have that opportunity. She said: "I've always wanted to make people feel comfortable and welcome. I wanted to offer healthy food at a good price because I think everyone should have that opportunity."
She added that she noticed many shops and supermarkets can be expensive for healthy products. She said: "Paying a lot for healthy food was something that really bothered me. It's really important to me to eat healthily myself, and I'd like other people to be able to afford it too."
Learning on the job
The road to becoming an entrepreneur was not easy, and N'taya admitted she had to learn day by day. Her mother, who runs her own business, taught her the ins and outs, and her experience in McDonald's kitchens helped. She said: "I had to throw myself into it because I didn't really know what I was doing. My mum had her own business, so she taught me the ins and outs, and I was also running kitchens at McDonald's, so I had some experience of working in a busy kitchen."
She added: "It was quiet at first and there were a lot of mistakes along the way. It was quite hard, and because of how difficult it was, I did think about giving up. But I pushed through and persevered, and now it's growing, especially on social media."
Support from family and partner
The Buddha Bar has found a community of regular customers who visit for coffee, matcha, fresh smoothies and bites. N'taya is supported by her boyfriend, Tom Ford, who works as the manager and is also her partner. She said: "Being 21, I obviously want to go out clubbing, but I don't do it as much as I used to. Sometimes I still have to go into work with a hangover — but we do smoothies, so that helps!"
She added: "My family are really supportive. They'll come and visit me with my friends, and if I need help at all, they're always happy to help. If I'm at a market that day, they'll come along and support me. My boyfriend, Tom, works with me. We met in a club in Liverpool, and we're both really into our raving. He's always by my side."
Future plans
Looking ahead, N'taya hopes this is only the start of The Buddha Bar. She said: "I'd love to continue building the business. I'd like to start doing things in the evenings, like pizza nights, get an alcohol licence and hopefully open more in the future."
