Java House

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

Past Chief Executive Officers

Kevin Ashley (2010–2016)

• Co-founded Nairobi Java House in 1999.^[8]
• Oversaw the company's growth 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 principal role is the development and implementation of the Group's growth and development strategies.^[14]

Derrick Van Houten 2021 - 2022

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

Priscilla was appointed as Group CEO in November 2022.

References

1. "Contact us^[usurped]." 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. Archived from the original on 2016-10-16. 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. Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. 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.