Café Javas: Ugandan food outlets that are now conquering Kenya

Café Javas which is a popular Ugandan food outlet seems to be doing better in Kenya than in its own country of origin.

Known by the chain’s abbreviation of CJ’s the outlet has just opened another branch in the posh Lavington suburbs of Nairobi.

The new CJ’s spans two levels, comes with elevators, and has plenty of parking space.

This marks the brand’s 9th branch in Kenya, meaning it now has more outlets in the neighboring country than it does in Uganda, where the company originally started.

This is because there are already reports that the 10th outlet will be opened at Galleria, in the equally posh, Karen area.

But for most observers, the development comes without saying that Kenya has much larger towns than Uganda does, hence a bigger urban population.

Apparently, Kenyan urbanites appeal to the kind of meals served by CJs.

On the other hand, the size of Nairobi city compared to Kampala is bigger, boasting an even stronger economy.

So, it makes sense that CJs would naturally flourish in Kenya.

But already Uganda has 9 branches, with 8 of them being in Kampala and 1 in Entebbe.

Cafe Javas, alias CJ’s hotel, is one of the popular and fast-growing restaurant chains in Kenya, known for its diverse and high-quality dining experience.

CJ’s is famous for its menu of more than 300 items.

And the chain runs a strict ‘no alcohol’ policy, focusing entirely on high-quality food and specialty beverages like tea, coffee and juices.

As a new culture, the new generation of youths (Gen Z), in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other parts of East Africa seem to be steering away from alcohol and CJ’s operators are already aware of this fact.

The food chain is part of the Mandela group of companies owned by Ugandan business mogul Ahmed Omar Mandela.

Now, Omar Mandela is among the wealthiest individuals in Uganda, with investments spanning various sectors, including hospitality, manufacturing, automotive and oil.

Some of the companies associated with the Ugandan investor are Cafe Javas, City Tyres, City Oil, City Lubes, City World, Savers, Food Hub, Mandela Millers and Mandela Auto Spares, which operate under the Mandela Group of companies.