Henry Ngabirano shows one of the many awards won by the business
Industry Tourism

Café PAP marks 15 years of serving excellent coffee

Celebrated coffee house Café PAP has marked 15 years in the business. Celebrating under the theme 15 years of God’s Goodness and faithfulness, the coffee house held a number of events that started with a thanksgiving service at All Saints Cathedral Kampala, followed by a blood Donation Drive in partnership with the Uganda Red Cross at the two Café PAP branches (Parliament Avenue Kampala and Shell Ntinda gas station), a press conference and later fellowship and dinner at the main branch on Parliament Avenue.

A group photo of staff of Heritage Coffee Company Limited outside All Saints Cathedral Kampala on 23 April 2019
A group photo of staff of Heritage Coffee Company Limited outside All Saints Cathedral Kampala on 23 April 2019

During the press conference, the Chairman Heritage Coffee Company Limited under which Café PAP trades Henry Ngabirano said the business started with 12 associates, who have now grown to 118. He noted that the majority of the associates are the young people below the age of 35 years and about 60 per cent of the establishment is women.

About café PAP

Cafe PAP, one of the first two coffee shops that opened doors in Uganda, opened doors to customers on April 23rd 2004 on Parliament Avenue Kampala. It’s the first woman operated coffee shop in the country.

Services

Cafe pap offers its customers beverages, freshly prepared meals, pastries and other products and services in greater Kampala. Coffee is the most vital product to Café PAP business and hence their special attention to the way coffee is procured, roasted and served.

What is café pap known of?

“Café pap is known for serving the best premium coffee in this country because of the highly specialized sourcing practices followed. They work with a few selected women coffee farmers who employ environmentally sustainable production practices to produce, handle and process the coffee bought,” Ngabirano said.

A lot of energy and passion is put when processing and handling the coffee and other products from the garden to the plate/cup, love for coffee sets the standards for all other products sold at café pap and ambience operated in.

“During the past 15 years of service, Café PAP has grown in number, size, geographical reach and products served. Parliament Avenue has now grown to three locations in Kampala and tourist Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge on the shores of Lake George in Queen Elizabeth national Park in Western Uganda,” Ngabirano added.

Achievements

Café pap has won awards and accolades, many of which were because of the founding mother Jolly Ngabirano and the others to the company.

“A few that should be mentioned here are, the first female café owner, the top 100 fastest growing medium sized company 2010, 11, 12, 13 and 14, the international quality Gold Award for excellence, innovation and for Coffee Quality Service and Worldwide Market Penetration and promotion,” the chairman said.

New products

Abraham Ngabiirwe, a director café pap said that knowing that the future is not about the past, “we are using the year 2019, our 15th year in service to propel us into the new dimension of creativity, innovation and expansion.

Cold Pressed Juice; The JOLLY JUICERY

Cold Pressed Juice; The JOLLY JUICERY

“We are therefore introducing another line business that we believe greatly differentiate us and that is the Cold Pressed Juice; The JOLLY JUICERY, and other cold pressed beverages and products.

“Declaring the year 2019 as the year of increase and expansion will mean increasing time with God, expanding the investments and both in the new and existing business lines. Developing associates or PAPSTARS as by investing knowledge, health and saving will take the center stage of operations.”

Contribution to community development

Ngabirano says creating partnership for shared value is key, and Café PAP goes at length to form strong partnership with the coffee farmers from whom coffee is sourced, and support them by paying a fair price and support their coffee production.

“Giving back to society through well established and ethical institution like Watoto church, international Christian Chamber of commerce, where regular contributions constitute part of partnerships and shared value policy.

Café pap also supports deserving children and families in communities by providing meals and health care,” he said.

By George Piwang