The Africa Cultural Promotion Center has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the opening of ‘The African Granary’, an African restaurant and bar in the heart of The Hague. The campaign on CrowdAboutNow has already raised 106% of the minimum target amount and can therefore open the doors. The campaign is still running to raise the maximum amount of 110,000 euros.
From cultural events to permanent restaurant
Entrepreneurs Mollynn Mugisha-Otim and Stephen Otim, both from Uganda and living in The Hague for over 18 years, started the Africa Cultural Promotion Center in 2021. With African markets and cultural events, they have since promoted African culture, food and music. Now they want to take the next step by opening a permanent catering facility.
“We have been successful in presenting African food, music and a sense of community to our audiences at our events, especially the African markets. It is now time to create a space where people can experience African culture not only during scheduled market days, but at any time of the week,” said Mollynn Mugisha-Otim.
The entrepreneurs have an existing family restaurant on Parkstraat 37 in mind, which they want to take over and transform into an African restaurant. The interior will be adapted with carefully selected items that portray African beauty, such as colorful fabrics and art that depicts African wildlife, landscapes and music.
The menu will feature authentic African dishes such as fufu, East African rolex, West African jollof rice, egusi stew, grilled fish, pilau rice with Kachumbari salad, African nyama choma/suya and many other traditional specialties.
“This crowdfunding campaign is not only important for funding our project, but also building a community that supports our vision of sharing African culture,” says Stephen Otim. “It’s heartening to see how many people have already contributed to our dream.”
The campaign has currently raised €58,500, which exceeds the minimum target of €55,000. The target amount is €110,000, which will allow the entrepreneurs to cover the takeover and refurbishment of the restaurant as well as the operational costs for the first six months, while they build a customer base.
The campaign runs until March 30th and offers two ways to contribute: via a loan with an annual return of 3.5% that is repaid within 5 years, or by purchasing vouchers. Investors also receive different rewards depending on their contribution.
The African Granary is scheduled to open its doors in March. The entrepreneurs will receive the keys in early March, after which they will immediately start furnishing and decorating the location. The official opening is scheduled for March 14, 2025, with a festive opening event at the end of March.
About Africa Cultural Promotion Center
The Africa Cultural Promotion Center was founded in 2021 to promote African culture and values in the Netherlands. With various cultural events, programs and activities, the center brings together people who are interested in African culture. With The African Granary, the founders want to create a permanent meeting place where everyone can experience authentic African hospitality.
Fore more information: https://crowdaboutnow.nl/campagnes/africangranary
https://theafricangranary.nl/en