Kenyan roaster Dormans Coffee has partnered with Australian-born café chain The Coffee Club for the brand’s launch in East Africa.
The Coffee Club plans to open 25 cafés across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania over the next ten years to build a foundation for its East African operations. Founded in Brisbane in 1989, it currently operates more than 400 locations in nine countries.
Dormans became Kenya’s first coffee roaster when it was founded by Charles and Ellen Dormans in 1950, and already provides its beans to with the likes of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Turkish Airlines, and Toyota.
Liwa Minor, which operates The Coffee Club’s franchise operations in the Middle East and Africa, praised the partnership with Dormans on the announcement of the opening of The Coffee Club’s first Nairobi store.
“We are proud to announce the opening of The Coffee Club’s first-ever store on the African continent, located in Nairobi, Kenya – a city renowned for its energy, innovation and deep-rooted coffee heritage,” the company statement reads.
“A key part of this launch is our partnership with Dormans Coffee, who now roast our signature Melbourne-crafted blends locally in Nairobi – ensuring freshness, supporting Kenyan supply chains and reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and local collaboration.
“This milestone not only marks the beginning of The Coffee Club’s journey in East Africa, but also demonstrates the strength of our regional franchise model, powered by global brand standards and local insight.”
Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority Director General Dr. Bruno Linyiru attended the grand opening of The Coffee Club’s first Kenyan site. He says the launch of the chain aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda (BETA), which aims to promote value addition, market development, sustainability, and youth employment through increased domestic coffee consumption.
