Java House Kenya is a multibillion-dollar coffee house and casual dining chain owned by two private firms. It is commonly identified by its iconic warm, earthy orange-red color and a stylized sun motif logo.
It was founded by American entrepreneurs Kevin Ashley and John Wagner in 1999.
They established the first café at Adams Arcade along Ngong Road in Nairobi, focusing on authentic coffee, which quickly became successful.
Kevin Ashley played a key role in growing Java House from a single brand into a leading East African coffee and restaurant chain with over 80 outlets across the region.
Owners of Java House Kenya
In 2012, Washington-DC-based Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) acquired a roughly 90% stake.
In 2017, Dubai-based private-equity firm Abraaj Group acquired Java House from ECP.
Later, UK-based private-equity firm Actis acquired Java House following Abraaj’s liquidation.
Most recently, in January 2025, Africa-focused private-equity firms Alterra Capital (majority stake) and Phatisa Group (minority stake) announced an agreement to acquire Java House from Actis.
The sale to Alterra Capital and Phatisa Group was approved by the COMESA Competition Commission, but financial details of the deal remain confidential.
Java Branches and Locations
Java House Kenya operates nearly 100 branches across East Africa.
The chain had around 97 branches in the region, with 81 of these located within Kenya.
Newest outlets include locations in Thika (Kiambu County), Kenol (Murang’a County), Kisumu Airport, Kisii town, and several parts of Nairobi, such as Loresho and Ojijo Road.
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The chain operates in key Kenyan cities and towns, including:
- Nairobi
- Kisumu
- Kisii
- Thika
- Murang’a
- Meru, and others.
The branches mix full-service Java restaurants and smaller Java Express outlets designed for convenience and quick service.
History
Java House Kenya was founded in 1999 by American entrepreneurs Kevin Ashley and John Wagner in Nairobi.
The original goal was to create a place offering authentic export-quality Kenyan coffee, something rare at the time in the region.
Their first café opened at Adam’s Arcade on Ngong Road, Nairobi.
Also Read: Govt Awards Java Guard Who Got Fired for Shielding Anti-Ruto Protestors
The early years of Java were challenging because Kenya lacked an established coffee culture, and expanding the business from one to a few outlets required considerable effort and limited financial resources.
Despite this, the brand steadily grew in popularity.
Over the years, Java expanded beyond Kenya to Uganda and Rwanda and diversified into other food and beverage concepts such as 360 Degrees Artisan Pizza and Planet Yoghurt.
By 2024, Java House Group had grown to about 73 locations across East Africa and employed over 2,000 people.
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