Upgrades: every stall upgrade, level by level
Profit buys upgrades in the morning: seven of them, five levels each, ₦551,500 for everything.
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What are the upgrades?
| Upgrade | What it does | Level 1 | All levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charcoal grill | More skewers on the grill at once. | ₦2,500 | ₦83,000 |
| Charcoal stove | A hotter, better-drawn fire: every heat cooks faster. | ₦1,000 | ₦18,000 |
| Light bulb | A brighter stall pulls in more passers-by; a backup light from level 2 and a rain cover from level 3. | ₦1,000 | ₦28,000 |
| Generator | The lights stay on when NEPA takes the power; quieter at higher levels. | ₦13,000 | ₦207,500 |
| Tables and chairs | Customers wait longer and order more when they can sit. | ₦1,000 | ₦57,000 |
| Signboard | More passers-by stop at a stall with a name on it. It also puts up a billboard by the stall. | ₦1,000 | ₦43,500 |
| Cooler | Room for cold drinks, and a better margin on them. | ₦5,500 | ₦114,500 |
Best upgrades: suya game buying order
The balance simulator that tunes the game buys one level of each upgrade in turn, in this order: charcoal grill, charcoal stove, tables and chairs, signboard, light bulb, cooler and generator. It always keeps the next night’s stock money in hand first.
Early on, the first levels of tables and chairs (₦1,000, +8% patience) and the signboard (₦1,000, +5% passers-by) are cheap and help from the next night; the grill’s level 1 is the first that adds slots. Buy a cooler before you move to Lekki and Victoria Island.
What does each level do?
Each table starts with what the stall has before you buy a level.
Charcoal grill
The grill itself changes as it grows: from a rusty cut oil drum to riveted stainless steel, each over a wire mesh on glowing charcoal, like many street grills.
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | 12 grill slots |
| 1 | ₦2,500 | 14 grill slots |
| 2 | ₦6,500 | 16 grill slots |
| 3 | ₦13,000 | 18 grill slots |
| 4 | ₦24,000 | 20 grill slots |
| 5 | ₦37,000 | 24 grill slots |
Charcoal stove
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | cooks at the plain fire’s speed |
| 1 | ₦1,000 | every heat cooks 5% faster |
| 2 | ₦1,000 | every heat cooks 10% faster |
| 3 | ₦2,500 | every heat cooks 15% faster |
| 4 | ₦5,500 | every heat cooks 20% faster |
| 5 | ₦8,000 | every heat cooks 25% faster |
Light bulb
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | No extra passers-by |
| 1 | ₦1,000 | +5% passers-by |
| 2 | ₦2,500 | +10% passers-by |
| 3 | ₦5,500 | +15% passers-by; a rain cover takes 50% off the rain’s slowing |
| 4 | ₦8,000 | +20% passers-by; a rain cover takes 50% off the rain’s slowing |
| 5 | ₦11,000 | +25% passers-by; a rain cover takes 50% off the rain’s slowing |
Generator
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | Dark in a power cut |
| 1 | ₦13,000 | Lights on in a power cut; its noise bothers 5% of customers |
| 2 | ₦26,500 | Lights on in a power cut; its noise bothers 4% of customers |
| 3 | ₦38,500 | Lights on in a power cut; its noise bothers 3% of customers |
| 4 | ₦55,000 | Lights on in a power cut; its noise bothers 2% of customers |
| 5 | ₦74,500 | Lights on in a power cut, silent |
Tables and chairs
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | Customers stand |
| 1 | ₦1,000 | +8% patience |
| 2 | ₦5,500 | +16% patience |
| 3 | ₦11,000 | +24% patience |
| 4 | ₦15,500 | +32% patience |
| 5 | ₦24,000 | +40% patience |
Signboard
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | No extra passers-by |
| 1 | ₦1,000 | +5% passers-by |
| 2 | ₦4,000 | +10% passers-by |
| 3 | ₦8,000 | +15% passers-by |
| 4 | ₦12,000 | +20% passers-by |
| 5 | ₦18,500 | +25% passers-by |
Cooler
| Level | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | — | No cold drinks |
| 1 | ₦5,500 | 6 cold drinks, drinks at their price |
| 2 | ₦11,000 | 10 cold drinks, +5% on each drink |
| 3 | ₦20,000 | 16 cold drinks, +10% on each drink |
| 4 | ₦32,000 | 24 cold drinks, +15% on each drink |
| 5 | ₦46,000 | 36 cold drinks, +20% on each drink |
Is the Mai Suya generator worth it?
A power cut comes on about 26% of nights. It only makes the stall dark: customers still come, and start 0.5 stars happier. The generator (₦13,000 for level 1, ₦207,500 for all) keeps the lights on, but its noise bothers 5% of customers on those nights until level 5 makes it silent.
Buy it when the dark makes you miss flips; most stalls buy it last.