A week ago, we broke the news of Endiro Coffee expanding to the US. A week later, we have learnt that they are planning to close their shop in Iganga - temporarily.
Endiro is set to launch its first guest house soon in Iganga and is in the process of finishing the property. They are looking to have their visitors enjoy life out of the hustle of the city in a retreat style environment. They believe this will give them opportunities to learn from local farmers and artisans.
The coffee shop in Iganga will temporarily close so that they can re-build it in an improved location nearer to the guest house. They are optimistic that building a new location from the ground up will create jobs for local workers as well as improve amenities for their customers. The Endiro shop located on Iganga main street will close by the end of this month.
GOOD NEWS: Endiro Coffee to open it's first USA branch in downtown Aurora, Illinois, in just a few weeks time.
— StartupDigestAfrica (@DigestAfrica) March 21, 2017
Pic Credit: DT Auroran pic.twitter.com/L5u6C3KnpI
On March 6, 2017 - in a press release which we received by email - Endiro Coffee, through Cody Lorance - the Director of US Expansions - announced it'll be opening up it's first branch outside Uganda. This branch is soon to be launched in downtown Aurora, Illinois.
In a few short weeks, the Endiro story will start yet another chapter as the company opens its first location in the United States. Just outside of the American city of Chicago lies Aurora, Illinois. There on the banks of the Fox River, Endiro is getting ready to launch a coffee shop in the heart of the city’s historic downtown district.
Aurorans, Chicagoans and even diaspora Ugandans will soon be treated to single-origin Ugandan coffee from the village of Bukalasi in Bududa, specialty grade Ugandan tea from Mityana, and even some Ugandan street food favorites such as rolex, samosas, and muchomo.
In true Endiro fashion, a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu will compliment a coffee, tea and juice menu that will be difficult to beat. Endiro’s Corporate Executive Chef explained:
“We call our culinary style, ‘Glocal Food’ because we like to take popular dishes from around the world and put our own, distinctly Ugandan twist on it. Aurorans are going to love it!”
Today, Endiro has established itself as one of the most popular coffee brands in Uganda and has seen its operations expand from the coffee cup all the way to the coffee tree.
Currently, some 2,000 coffee farmers – most of whom are women – are members of the Endiro Growers network and 100% of Endiro’s Ugandan coffee comes from these farmers who receive training, equipment, mentoring and the nation’s highest prices per kilogram of coffee through the partnership.
In 2015, Endiro opened its 4th and 5th locations amid growing popularity and launched its first coffee growing project. The Auroran coffee shop will be its 6th after the shops in Kisementi, Mbale (2), Iganga and Naguru.