Meet Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, the couple behind Soko by Baobab Fare: a market bringing Burundi-grown coffee to Detroit, Michigan.
BY DANIEL MURAGA
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of Baobab Fare
What to know:
- Husband-and-wife duo Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba came to America from Burundi in the 2010s in search of asylum; today, they operate Baobab Fare, an East African restaurant, market, and café in Detroit, Michigan
- Burundi produces high-quality coffee known for its bright acidity, rich body, and sweet red-wine and oftentimes floral flavor notes
- Soko (meaning “market” in Swahili), an extension of Baobab Fare, sells coffee grown in Burundi and roasted in Detroit; the brand currently offers three single-origin coffees from the East African country
A little over a decade ago, one couple came to the U.S. from Burundi in search of asylum from a country engulfed in political turmoil—never did they guess that they’d one day be running one of Detroit’s most popular food and beverage establishments, with their home country at the heart of their work.
Nadia Nijimbere and her husband, Hamissi Mamba, settled in Detroit in 2013 and 2015, respectively, where they first received help from Freedom House Detroit, a nonprofit that shelters and supports refugees and asylum seekers.
After completing a business degree, Hamissi found it hard to look for a job and support a family while seeking asylum, an uphill task. Nadia, who is known for her cooking, arrived pregnant with twins and hopeful for a better life. Growing up back home, Hamissi’s mom ran a restaurant, an inspiration that led the couple to open a restaurant in their new home and serve authentic Burundi cuisine. This is how Baobab Fare, an East African restaurant, market, and café in Detroit, was born in 2021, at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and West Grand Boulevard.
“Detroit welcomed us as refugees,” Hamissi says, adding that the Motor City community took them in with open arms—and because of that, Hamissi and Nadia feel the responsibility to encourage development of through immigration from international countries.
Through Baobab Fare, the two have created a community space where they can share their origin stories through food and coffee. “It’s where conversations and understanding intersect,” says Hamissi.
Detroit ni nyumbani: Detoit is home
Since its inception, Baobab Fare has drawn national and international recognition, including as a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist and one-time finalist. The establishment also received recognition as Best New Restaurant from Eater Detroit, placing it alongside some of the country’s most extolled dining houses. They use an inspired motto, “Detroit ni nyumbani,” which simply means “Detroit is home” in Swahili.
But the couple had more stories to share from their homeland that needed a bigger platform. The East African culture and its craftspeople warranted a larger stage to be well shared and celebrated. This is without mentioning that the couple wanted an avenue to directly impact their country of origin by offering economic support. And that’s why Soko by Baobab Fare was founded in 2023—to economically uplift Burundi and the rest of East Africa and assist in sharing its richness and splendor with the planet while offering opportunities for jobs and commerce. In short, it shares and lifts East African culture through packaged foods, jewelry, apparel, and, of course, coffee.
“I never had a chance to think about the future growing up,” Hamissi says. “Now I have a chance to think about my future.”
Grown in Burundi, roasted in Detroit
Soko by Baobab sells coffee beans imported from Burundi and roasted in Detroit. Soko, a word that means “market” in Swahili, is an intentional name that the founders used to symbolize the rich culture that defines the East African region, a vast area on the continent that features some of the best coffee producers such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
Burundi is a quiet producer of specialty coffee, usually overlooked because of the prominence, popularity, and recognition of its neighbors as specialty coffee-producing powerhouses. The country produces high-quality coffee known for its bright acidity, rich body, and sweet red-wine and oftentimes floral flavor notes. In this landlocked nation, the mostly Bourbon Arabica coffee is grown by about 800,000 smallholder farmers at high altitudes of between 1,250 and 2,000 meters above sea level, with the country averaging 225,000 60-kg bags in annual production. This coffee supports about half of the country’s 10 million population.
Soko’s coffees are roasted in Clawson, a city in Oakland County, Michigan, about twenty miles from Detroit, by Sabbath Coffee Roasters, and packed in bright-colored packaging reminiscent of the bright colors often seen in Burundi.
“Our coffee branding and packaging are driven by the original Burundian fashion,” Hamissi says, adding that a visit to villages in Burundi is full of folks wearing vibrant, colorful clothes, and thus, they wanted their designs to reflect that very spirit and energy.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, the couple is focused on working with more coffee importers, farmers, and cooperatives not only in Burundi, but beyond its borders.
“We’ll soon start importing coffee directly from Burundi and cacao from Congo as part of Soko’s growth,” Hamissi says, adding, “There’s a long history of people who were once labeled as “problems” becoming some of the biggest drivers of change and success in this country.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Muraga (he/him) is a communications expert, researcher, writer, and editor based in Kenya with over 10 years of experience in the industry. His mission is to highlight Africa’s contributions to the realms of science, technology, innovation, culture, food, and related fields. He has done extensive research and written widely in the coffee niche for Sprudge Media, as well as in related areas for Life & Thyme and CQ Researcher, among others. When not writing, he is always outdoors communing with nature. You can find him on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Subscribe and More!
As always, you can enjoy your own copy of Barista Magazine by subscribing or ordering an issue. Long live physical media!
Support Barista Magazine and show your love with a Membership.
Signup for our weekly newsletter.
Join us at Camp Coffee Shop Aug. 10-13 in Napa, California.
