Companies

Simba Corp to open eatery in Westlands by September

popat

Simba Corp executive chairman Adil Popat. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU

Family-owned Simba Corporation, with interests in Kenya’s automotive and hospitality sectors, is set to open a new restaurant in Westlands in Nairobi September.

The firm says the eatery will incorporate 11 different cuisine as it eyes expansion of the business model across the region.

The facility that will be located on Westlands Mpaka Road, an investment project that is envisaged to tap into the local’s growing appetite for international cuisine.

The firm, however, declined to reveal the cost of the venture that expands its local hospitality portfolio.

“The rise of ‘food halls’ in US, UK and Asia is a major inspiration to this project.

“We want to be trend setters in the F & B (food and beverage) industry.

“Like New York, London and Hong Kong, Kenya should and can develop F & B concepts with the same level of innovation and creativity,” said Alyana Popat, Simba Corp’s hospitality marketing manager.

The restaurant is expected to feature various cuisines including Portuguese, Indian, Italian and an outlet that will exclusively serve wine.

“This project will be something unique to Kenya … Nothing of its kind has ever been developed in this part of the world. It’s going to give Kenyans international experiences. Work has already started and we may open earlier than the target date,” she said.

This latest venture follows the recent unveiling of Barista Lounge, at Simba Corp Aspire Centre, which marked its first stand-alone eatery.

The Popat family also owns Kisumu’s Acacia Premier, Villa Rosa and Ole Mara and holds a stake in Hemingways Holdings.

The new restaurant comes more than a year and half after Simba Corporation temporarily froze plans to set-up mid-priced hotels across Kenya due to a glut in the market.

The family shelved plans to open four-star hotels under the ‘Acacia Premier’ brand and two-star hotels dubbed ‘Acacia Express’ back in April 2017.

The conglomerate wanted to replicate the Acacia model with planned hotels in Nairobi and Naivasha.