US-Based Kenyan Woman Lands Deal to Sell Her Coffee Brand in Trader Joe's Stores across the US
US-based Kenyan-born entrepreneur Margaret Nyamumbo has landed a deal to sell her coffee brand ‘Kahawa 1893’ in 200 Trader Joe’s stores across the US.
This makes ‘Kahawa 1893’ the first black woman-owned coffee brand to be sold at Trader Joe’s, a chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California.
Nyamumbo founded Kahawa 1893 in 2017 in California to “provide premium, traceable Kenyan coffee to consumers.”
The former Wall Street investment banker not only sells coffee but also empowers women coffee farmers in her native Kenya.
“When a consumer buys coffee at Trader Joe’s, they can scan a QR code and send a tip to a farmer’s e-wallet who will receive that money directly. Kahawa 1893 matches all tips to double the impact,” Nyamumbo said.
Kahawa 1893 offers several coffee blends, including Kenyan, Peaberry, Serengeti, Ethiopian, Safar, 1893 Espresso, decaf, and single-serve blends.
Nyamumbo, a Harvard University graduate, took to social media to share the good news.
“Surprise…Kahawa 1893 is the first Black-owned, woman-owned coffee brand hitting your local Trader Joe’s shelves this month! We hope you’re excited because we sure are! This is a monumental move forward, not only for us, not only for the women farmers in Africa but all women and all of the Black community.”
“Thank you all for helping us get here and being part of our journey. We still have more in store…and can’t wait for you all to be with us every step of the way,” she wrote.
Comments (8)
Congratulations but is her coffee more authentic than what is currently being sold at Starbucks at ridiculously high prices they have Kenyan coffee in a bag apparently it is imported than bagged in the USA.Just because it is made in the USA does not make it “better” but I guess the target market matters Americans do not trust Africans yet they are the same ones consuming coffee excreted from a civet’s poop also known as “Kupi Luwak”even the name itself sounds like shit
ATTA GIRL!! Congratulations
Hello Margaret Nyamumbo,
Congratulations! Wow, I'm impressed. I'm a Trader Joe's shopper and cannot wait to go in there tomorrow and grab me some of your products.
This is very inspiring.
Wishing you exponential growth.
Salute!
This is not news. The last time I lived in the US, Kenyan coffee was and is still being sold in Starbucks across the United status. Even traders Joe sells kenyan and Ethiopian coffee. I guess she has won a big ‘new’ contract for a product that’s not really new. Congrats though!
Key word: Longevity! Yes even in 2007 I saw coffee contracts in Whole foods but those who had them somehow got outbid. The problem with our reporting we hype things like the new movement of BLM = the first Black Woman .............just because it is in the US but there has been firsts in other countries/ continents including ours truly that never make the news. Yes US is the " first world" ( subjective) economy but being signed by any corporation is a contract and depending you can be outbid / cancelled any day ... hence longevity and those are the story I want to read , the longevity success story not one hit wonder . Having said that however, I celebrate this woman success but we MUST revisit this story 5 years from now as that to me equates success worth reporting . This is not me hating( I suspect I will get negative comments following this) but there is a certain element of elevating people because of the title in the "USA" . I would like to read more about Kenyans in other part of the world who are making it not just because it is the USA
Great job! Now could you please package it in Keurig Cups too? And conisder marketing it to corps for their coffee Stations.
Over 5 years ago, I noticed that the first choice of coffee for employees was always from Africa (Kenya First, then Ethiopia)....I asked one much older employee why the African Coffee ran out so fast? His response was that African coffee tasted great. His words 'Brazillian/Central American Coffee is simply bitter'...but coffee from the Highlands of Africa had a Unique taste to it...not just dark bitter water. And sure enough, Coffee from Africa never lasted past mid-day. I seen Kenyan Coffee at my local whole foods, but again, we need multiple types of packaging. I saw it and wanted it, but I'd have to buy a coffee pot and those coffee 'thingies' that sieve it; effectively rendering my Keurig brewer useless...and who will keep cleaning the coffee pot? Good job!
Congratulations!! Some comments wivu tupu
Congratulations. News worth telling the world. Who cares who else was a head of you? This is your achievement and it is great. I love that you can tip our farmers back home. Way to go Margaret!!!!!