The ‘Bar Next Door’, an entertainment club owned by Tony Owich, ranks highly among other facilities in the hospitality sector both in the national and international space.
Bar Next Door in Kiambu Road was named the best club/lounge in the Kenya Tourism Awards in 2025, while Bar Next Door Kileleshwa was ranked among the top eight best-designed bars in the world.
The story of Tony Owich is that of unmatched resilience in the face of hardships. This man behind Bar Next Door, better known as BND, rose from hawking chocolate to running award-winning bars.
Tony Owich began entrepreneurship in campus
Owich began his entrepreneurial journey while at the University. He would buy clothes at the Gikomba market and later hawk them to his fellow students.
At the time, he was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Nairobi. He had an ambition to make more money and ended up looking for a job while still in school. He landed a job at a chocolate factory.
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Shortly after graduating, he got another job as a customer service attendant at Yu Mobile. He credits the discipline he has to the experience he had while at this job. He later worked in a bank before transitioning into the hospitality industry.
Jameson Brand Ambassador for East Africa
Owich shifted gears and landed a lucrative job as the Jameson Brand Ambassador for East Africa. He worked as a whiskey connoisseur, a position that saw him travel around the world to market the brand.
He was later headhunted to promote the Tuborg beer brand and he later moved to East African Breweries Limited (EABL) to revamp its portfolio.
Through these experiences in both the entrepreneurial and bar and alcohol business, Tony felt well prepared to establish his venture.
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“When my entrepreneurial urge hit, I was never going to start a pharmacy or open a school because I already had this wealth of knowledge in understanding pricing for alcohol, the consumer, and the overall industry,” stated Owich.
The birth of ‘Bar Next Door’
Tony always had a dream of creating a space where people from affluent neighborhoods could get a local bar experience. Together with his friend, Grace, he rented an old building in Kilimani which he renovated to his liking and that is how BND was born.
His journey has not been without its fair share of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic was a huge blow to the hospitality industry, but Tony was resilient in establishing himself in the bar business.
He has also met challenges with the County Government over having bars and entertainment joints in residential areas. Tony believes that with proper regulation, bars can peacefully co-exist with residents.
Tony loves to read books and travel for leisure.
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