Afrikana was established in 2018 by business entrepreneur Omair Ali. Omair gained his vast experience in the hospitality sector working across various restaurant groups in the UK and Dubai. After four years Omair decided to move back to the UK and start a venture of his own.

The vision began when he identified a gap in the current market for authentic home-cooked Afrikana infused food.  This led to him introducing an African inspired restaurant offering high-end quality food infused with a twist of beautiful African flavours to Aldridge in the West Midlands.

We believe we have introduced a “homecooked” essence of African food to the main high street by incorporating authentic flavours in to dishes most loved by everyone. But we don’t stop there, we like to express the beautiful culture through art, music, interior and the overall ambience to ensure we provide customers with the full Afrikana experience.

A new and exciting venture, not only consisting of a delectable menu but a wholesome business model which had success written all over it.

Our development so far:

Afrikana currently has stores open in Aldridge, Blackburn, Birmingham, Cardiff, Derby, Dalston (London), Lakeside, Bristol and Leicester. 

Our first Kiosk opened in Lakeside October 2022 and we have had our Food Truck in trial for over 18 months, and making great money at food festivals etc.

Coming soon - Mile End, Hounslow, Ilford, Manchester, Leeds Coventry.  We have a pipeline showing 20 stores by end 2023.

International franchising commencing 2023.

“Taking an Afrikana franchise has got to be potentially one of the most rewarding risks I have taken. I mean we opened our store in the middle of a pandemic! But Afrikana has helped so much in guiding us to set up our dream store so it is a safe, secure and excitable experience for everyone!... Cardiff is buzzing and Afrikana is the definitely hot spot right now!” – Afrikana Cardiff Franchisee

Franchise models and costs

There are 4 different Afrikana models – Kiosk, Lil’ Afrikana, Afrikana and Afrikana XL.

Kiosk:

• SQ FT: 600
• Seating: usually generic within food courts or travel termini;
• Total project cost: £150,000 - £200,000;

Lil’ Afrikana (Takeaway/express model)

• SQ FT: 600 - 1000
• Seating: 20 to 40 seats
• Total project cost: £150,000 - £200,000

The Afrikana

• SQ FT: 1,500 – 2,500
• Seating: 50 – 100
• Total project cost: £310,000 - £375,000

Afrikana XL

• SQ FT: 2,500 – 4,000 
• Seating: 100 – 200 seats
• Total project cost: £390,000 - £475,000

The project cost includes absolutely everything - franchise fee, stock, mktg launch, legal costs, agents costs, working capital, shop-fit and equipment on all models.

The Food Truck

At Afrikana we have been busy trialling the Afrikana Food Truck at events across the UK and are excited to be soon able to offer this as part of our franchise offering.

The food truck is something that sets Afrikana apart from our competitors. It can visit events anywhere in the UK, and with a much-adapted menu, it can rapidly serve people hot meals in a matter of a couple of minutes.

Franchisees will soon have the option to include this and use at events such as sport, music, food festivals, cultural, religious etc, helping to raise the profile of the brand. It can also be used at new openings before the store physically starts trading.

How we support you

Our team specialises in a number of fields which ensure the business runs as smooth and efficiently as possible, including marketing, branding, finance, architecture and much more. During the current Covid-19 pandemic, we as a business have had to rapidly adapt to the new normal, but through it all, the company stood united by its team, every employee, every franchisee and every customer, we’re always here to help.

Marketing
We have a dedicated in-house Marketing and Design team that are continuously expanding and exploring fresh new ideas. We believe it is about improving ourselves each day and every day and keeping focused in the direction we wish for Afrikana to go.

Branding
From the packaging and consumables to our in-house sauces, we offer high quality packaging and products. All our items are branded to ensure that we make ourselves known, we stand out and everybody is aware of Afrikana. We aim to keep our image, alive, vibrant and loud!

Events & PR
We believe that through events and by maintaining a solid foundation in PR is what sets us apart from competitors. Our team ensures to hold events every month across our stores to give customers a true insight of Afrikana – an experience they won’t forget. From Djs to live African drummers, we thrive off creating an unmissable atmosphere. We can ensure one thing, Afrikana does it big!

Ideal partner profile

• A communicative and commercially aware individual, partnership or company;
• No F&B experience required for the right person;
• Previous business experience is likely to help, but not mandated;
• Ambitious and aspirational character;

Interested in Afrikana Kitchen?

Contact Paul Davies

Head of Franchise Recruitment

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Click on the link below to receive further information on our franchise opportunity. You can also connect directly with us to ask any questions.

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