Two weeks ago the senior management of TOMOCA in Nairobi visited Addis Ababa for training that will forever be one for the books. Getting to the airport at around 3am was different, our initial reaction was everything is so quiet, no traffic, just a few red lights on the way there. Took about 10 minutes, which would normally take like 30 minutes. After we got checked in, we waited to board the plane.
The journey to Ethiopia had begun…… “Can I have your passport ma’am”? The first thing you hear when you get to the Ethiopian airport. It is interesting because they were so concerned about us and how we were feeling, Covid-19 has really changed a lot. The process during this pandemic has made travelling a lot more difficult because you require so many details and the queues are a lot longer, however Ethiopia Airlines really did help along the way. We slept through out the flight especially one of us, because of fear of flying and woke up in Addis.
A couple of minutes later the driver arrives to pick us up from the airport. The minute we got there we were visited with such a cold breeze and I immediately said to myself “I love this weather”. After we arrived at the hotel we freshened up, had some breakfast then the Tomoca Van picked us up. A driver called Jember took us around and he would always make sure we were comfortable. The moment we remembered the most with trips in the van is Jember would also put down his hat while crossing the church. That really touched us because it showed the amount of respect they all have for their religion. The very many reasons I like Ethiopian people they really want to make sure you’re comfortable.
Lucky for us our hotel was ten minutes from the Tomoca Headquarters. Something about being where all the magic of coffee begins in Ethiopia just felt like home. And of course we were greeted with some coffee. We opted for the macchiato and double Americano, which were both much needed and fantastic. We briefly went through a presentation about who Tomoca is, and how they are working behind the scenes to get you the best coffee in the world. We also learnt that 70% of the employees are women and they work with different organizations to help give back to the community. Each branch is around 10-15 minutes from each other and with no surprise, we are glad to say that the footfall is very heavy. The drink of choice at every branch was an Espresso or Machiatto. Ethiopians like their coffee strong and dark.
During the training we learnt about how Tomoca started and how they use the Kazien concept. The Kaizen concept refers to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the factory workers. It taught us how small improvements along the way can really make huge impact at the organization. We learnt how each branch has a team leader that reports to the main supervisor about everything that is going on at the branch. We learnt about the how the coffee we love so much is made. Ethiopians really like their coffee beans dark. However if you are not that much of a coffee fan they have lighter roast for you to enjoy.
They have 18 different branches in Ethiopia and all of them felt like ‘family’ and that’s exactly what Tomoca represents. You can walk into any Tomoca branch and find people engaging with each other’s as they have their coffee. The culture behind coffee is so strong that almost everyone we met in Addis is an expert and they love it. It is normal to have three coffees a day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon and one before you go to sleep.
The senior team managed to visit each of the 18 branches. Towards the end of our training we visited the newly opened branch at Entoto, it was amazing the setting of the park itself just added more of a feel to it. Imagine Karura forest; now imagine a park 4 times the amount with restaurants all over, even a spa. And the best part the branch of Tomoca and again with no surprise customers really enjoyed the coffee to the point where they were selling out. Its beautiful being able to drink coffee in a park and enjoy amazing views and everyone enjoying nature. The senior management really enjoyed this day.
Each branch has a unique theme from a “gallery” to a “train station”. Right opposite our hotel was one of the branches of Tomoca with a “camera shop theme”. We would always leave the hotel and the first thing we would see would be the Tomoca across the street. It is amazing to see how much thought goes into each branch. Well executed. Something we learnt about Tomoca is that most of the branches do not have chairs. People just come in, have some coffee and talk. The culture behind the coffee and Tomoca itself really humbles you. You just want to be part of the different conversations happening in each branch. Visiting where it all began was different from the roasting machines that started it all, to the lines outside to taste the coffee.
On our last night in Ethiopia we spent it at a cultural night. This is something everyone has to do when in Ethiopia. The music, the dancing that represent the cultural and let us not forgets the Unjeera. They feed you from time to time and this is their way of welcoming you into the country. It is a lovely experience that everyone must go through. We left there once again feeling like we are part of the family.
To be honest I think it had an effect on us all when visiting Ethiopia. We had a better vision of Tomoca and what it represents. We also got to do some soul searching for ourselves which made the team a lot stronger. Remembering all the people we met along the way who took the time to show us around and help us understand the brand better. They definitely made it an experience we will never forget. Family, is the most important thing we learnt about Tomoca. Coming back, we are ready to take Nairobi by storm with the Tomoca brand.
