Why has Java & later on ArtCaffe been wildly successful? Is it the product? Maybe. The marketing? Perhaps.
I have a theory.
Java launched in 1997 at Adams Arcade. Prior to 1997, the only "boujee" casual dining restaurants where Kenyans could access class in an ambience that made you feel good about yourself were in 4-5 star hotels like New Stanley & Grand Regency. Sure there was Master Bakers in Westlands that sold a killer Black Forest but it was a bakery not a spot that gave anyone much social status. There was Green Corner. But it was in the CBD. Need I say more?
The big shift came in 2002 when Kibaki became president & opened up Kenya. Kibaki's Supply Side policies spurred opportunity everywhere. Suddenly, money was flowing, people were spending & economy was growing. Consequently, the nouveau riche needed to show class & they had the money to do so. Many needed accessible luxury not only for themselves, but also to exhibit elitism. So you drove to Norfolk for a tiny samosas that cost Ksh 900. So? No one saw you. In fact, what is Norfolk? If by chance you knew what & where Norfolk was, you had to survive the butler's perhaps-you-are-lost? up-down perusal after a walk up Harry Thuku Road. Then it was & still is stuffy & old school. You take a look at the menu; baked stuffed mushrooms. Huh?
On the other hand, due to its accessibility, its freshness & its Americana vibe, everyone understood what Java meant. The reality that you could get the cup of tea at a kibanda somewhere in Parklands for a fraction of Java's price was immaterial because, unlike Norfolk, Java was rolling with the times. More importantly, coffee drinking, a mainstay of the elite, & especially with Italian descriptions like "cappuccino" & "latte", became an easy way to project culture & class. Once the coolest boyband can Lazizi your brand, you have become the very definition of aspiration.
As Kenya's economy grew, more & more people climbed up the social-economic ladder & these restaurants & other businesses like schools responded to the need for conspicuous consumption. Talking about schools, St. Mary's has been reduced to a third-tier institution simply because they didn't adapt fast enough to the economic realities of the noughties (one can also claim the school went sideways due to misappropriation & mismanagement). The fact is parents use their kids' schools to communicate their social standing & because of that, in the 70s, 80s & 90s, Saints was the school every parent wanted their son to go to. Then Kibaki happened & all at once a relationship manager at Stanbic could afford fees at St. Mary's. In as much as that was great, the CEO at Stanbic had to find another school for his son/s that created distance, prestige & aligned with his station. I mean, parent-teacher meetings would be sorta, kinda weird no? Sleepovers? Death.
Cultural change grew Java & in our emerging economy, most if not all cultural shifts occur in concert with changes in government. We're one year into a new administration. What culture shifts are happening & how can you position your company to exploit them for our collective benefit?
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