As an immigrant in the United States, one of the biggest challenges is usually establishing oneself economically. Kenyan-born entrepreneur Daniel Orwa, however, has not only navigated these hurdles—he has beaten the odds to thrive in the West.
Orwa, an aggressive business mind, understood the value of adaptability from a young age - a skill which has helped him establish two successful businesses in Nebraska.
The entrepreneur is the proud owner of a culinary and coffee business in Norfolk, and he admitted in a recent interview that his success had little to do with luck and was more about strategy.
Having moved to the United States from Kenya at just 14 years old, seeking better educational and economic opportunities, Orwa admitted it was a huge risk, but a worthy one since things were no better in his home country, Kenya.
“At the time, the economy in Kenya wasn’t doing really well,” he recalls. “The education system here is very good, and the benefits that come from it are my ability to do well here, which translates back home.”
In 2019, his passion for culinary arts led him to launch The 411 Restaurant and Lounge, a dining establishment serving the small town with unique recipes bearing a Kenyan touch.
According to Orwa, he identified a gap where he could offer the people of this small town in Nebraska a unique culinary experience, as natives of such areas in the U.S. barely experience much outside their town.
He explained: “I always had a menu in mind that I knew, if executed the right way, would fit in well—especially in small towns where people don’t often get to experience this kind of dining,” Orwa says. “I worked with really good chefs, so I took a little bit of everything from each one and moulded it into my own style.”
Like a proper entrepreneur, Orwa did not stop there as he proceeded to establish another enterprise called Fenders Coffee across from his initial restaurant.
As the name suggests, the coffee business brought a taste of authentic Kenyan coffee to Nebraska. “As time went on, we realised that the coffee program wasn’t getting enough exposure at the restaurant,” he says. “So we decided to move it to a different location and focus entirely on coffee.”
While serving high-quality coffee, Orwa’s business has also directly impacted farmers in Kenya - a move which he says is a deliberate effort to give back to his home country.
Another key factor the businessman attributes to his success is the fact that he is well-travelled, making him easily adaptable to new environments. After fitting in Nebraska, he smartly merged two cultures to create a thriving business.
So are there plans to come back to Kenya? While many Kenyan investors abroad typically exploit opportunities overseas while investing in their home country, Orwa thinks differently. He has no plans to come back to Kenya as he feels he owes it to the people of Norfolk to keep providing them with high-end coffee and delicacies with a Kenyan touch.
