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| Ngozi and Chijioke Dozie, founders of Café Neo |
How they did it
Ngozi and Chijioke Dozie knew that coffee was a big business globally. They also knew that, in spite of the fact that Nigeria is the seventh largest coffee producing country in the world, Nigeria has very few coffee shops. It took the brothers 4 years to raise $400,000 to start their coffee shop, but they did it.
And now after three very successful years, Café Neo is now Nigeria’s largest and fastest-growing coffee chain with 10 upscale outlets in the city of Lagos.
A place for entrepreneurs to meet
Their coffee shops are much more than a place to grab a cup of joe. Being entrepreneurs themselves, the Dozie brothers designed the shops to offer free Wi-Fi, jazz music and space for other entrepreneurs to come together and share ideas. This is a big benefit to locals. As Ngozi explains, "If you try and work from home, there probably is no power, if you try to go to the hotel, it's not conducive."
The two founders have managed to be at the forefront of the coffee business in Nigeria by recognizing potential, successfully raising the needed capital, and expanding. They now own the market on coffee shops in Nigeria. They even beat Starbucks to the punch.
So what's next?
Currently, they serve cold drinks and hot drinks. Their menu includes: Bubble Tea, Caramel Frapuccino, Iced Cafe Mocha, Iced Caramel Latte, Caramel Macchiato, Espresso, Cafe Latte, and more. But they plan to add more to the menu including juices, and food.
Their ultimate goal for their company is to be "the best African coffees produced by Africans, drunk in Africa." Global expansion plans are in the works as well.
For more details about Café Neo, visit www.mycafeneo.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyCafeNeo/
Watch their recent coverage on CNN: