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Nairobi Java House

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Java House (formerly Nairobi Java House) is a chain of coffee houses with its head office at ABC Place in Nairobi, Kenya,[1] founded in 1999 by Kevin Ashley and Jon Wagner.[2] When founded, it was one of the few places to find "export-quality" Kenyan coffee brewed and served in the region,[3] although specialty coffee culture has seen a significant increase in Kenya in recent years.[4]

Starting from the first cafe at Adam's Arcade along Ngong Road which opened in 1999,[5] Java House has grown to 73 locations across East Africa as of June 2024.[6] The Java brand is also the owner of Italian pizza chain 360 Degrees Pizza and the first ever East African self-service frozen yoghurt store, Planet Yogurt.[7]

Corporate governance

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Past Chief Executive Officers

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Kevin Ashley (2010–2016)

  • Co-founded Nairobi Java House in 1999.[8]
  • Oversaw the growth of the company from a single brand, Nairobi Java House, in Kenya to multiple brands in Kenya and Uganda.
  • Completed the sale of Java House to Emerging Capital Partners in 2012.[9]

Ken Kuguru (2016–2018)

  • Grew Java House to 60+ stores across 10 cities in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.[10]
  • In 2017, led the company to one of the most successful private equity F&B deals in East Africa to date.[11][12][13]

Paul Smith (2018 - 2021)

  • Paul's principle role is the development and implementation of the Group's growth and development strategies.[14]

Derrick Van Houten 2021 - 2022 “The new boss is coming to replace Mr Paul Smith who has been with us since February 2018,” said a source familiar with the changes at Java’s corner office.

Priscilla Gathungu 2022 - Present Group CEO Priscilla is the Group Chief Executive Officer at Java House Group. 2022 - Present

Her career at Java spans through various leadership roles across the group. From the HR department as Human Resources Director for 6 years to a successful stint as Commercial Director that saw her transition into Divisional Managing Director Foodscape where she has consistently delivered value and growth for the business over the last two years.

Priscilla was appointed as Group CEO in November 2022.

References

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  1. ^ "Contact us." Nairobi Java House. Retrieved on 17 February 2011. "Head Office: ABC Place, off Waiyaki Way, P.O.Box 21533, 00505, Nairobi, Kenya."
  2. ^ "Java House". Africa Outlook Magazine. 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  3. ^ Xan Rice (August 3, 2007). "Nairobi cafes buzzing as real coffee finally comes home". The Guardian.
  4. ^ Nicholas (2022-05-03). "Is coffee consumption growing in Kenya?". Perfect Daily Grind. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  5. ^ "Our Story". Java House. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Java House Find a Store". Java House. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  7. ^ "Our Locations". javahouseafrica.com. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  8. ^ "BIKO: Itinerant backpacker who co-founded Java". Business Daily. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  9. ^ "Java coffee chain sells majority stake to US equity firm". Business Daily. May 27, 2012. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  10. ^ "Java to inject Sh1bn into expansion drive". Business Daily. January 18, 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  11. ^ "ECP to exit Java House". ECP Investments. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  12. ^ "Abraaj to Acquire East Africa's Leading Coffee Chain Java House". The Abraaj Group. 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  13. ^ "Financial Times: Abraaj Group to Buy African Coffee Chain Java House". The Abraaj Group. 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  14. ^ "Our Leadership". Java Group. Retrieved 2019-10-01.

Edgar Kibisu Changilwa. Personal blogger and publisher. [1] 2023

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