Cafe Javas alias CJ's hotel is one of fast-growing restaurant chains in the country.
Its broad and diversified menu coupled with the great ambiance in its establishments has endeared it to Kenyans. What many don't know is that the restaurant has its roots in Uganda.
CJs is part of the Mandela group of companies owned by Ugandan business mogul Ahmed Omar Mandela.
Omar Mandela has invested in several sectors including hospitality, automotive, oil, and manufacturing.
He is also the President of Sports Club Villa (SC Villa), one of the top football clubs in Uganda.
Starting Cafe Javas
The mogul established his first restaurant along Bombo Road in Kampala, Uganda. The restaurant produced amazing coffee and other food items that saw customer queue to get a taste of the delicacy.
File image of Ahmed Omar Mandela. [Photo: Courtesy]
The amazing reception prompted Omar to expand and open other branches across Uganda. As of 2022, the restaurant had 8 branches in Kampala and one in Entebbe.
Establishing CJ's in Kenya
Having succeeded in Uganda, Omar decided to expand to Kenya. However, the move was not easy as he was hit by a lawsuit seeking to block the restaurant's establishment in the country.
The suit was filed by Java House who argued that the close similarity in name would confuse customers. Cafe Javas was forced to rebrand, thus the name CJ's.
CJ's debuted in Kenya in 2018, with its first branch being located at the junction on Koinange and Biashara streets in Nairobi. The restaurant has since grown and has other branches four other branches in the capital.
In addition to Cafe Javas, Mar through Mandela Group of companies owns City Tyres, City Oil, City Lubes, City World, Savers, Food Hub, Mandela millers and Mandela Auto Spares.
