Diaspora Coffee: How a Burundian Couple in Detroit Is Rewriting Origin Narratives

The packaging arrives in colors that would stop traffic in Sofia's Oborishte district: deep magentas, electric blues, patterns that pulse with the energy of Burundian village markets. Inside, three single-origin coffees from a country most specialty drinkers couldn't place on a map. This is Soko by Baobab Fare, and the story behind it matters more than the beans themselves.

Nadia Nijimbere arrived in Detroit in 2013, pregnant with twins, seeking asylum from a Burundi engulfed in political turmoil. Her husband, Hamissi Mamba, followed in 2015. Freedom House Detroit, a nonprofit supporting refugees and asylum seekers, helped them settle. Hamissi held a business degree but found the job market nearly impenetrable while navigating the asylum process. Nadia, known for her cooking, carried a different kind of credential: the memory of Hamissi's mother's restaurant back home.

From Restaurant to Roastery

In 2021, the couple opened Baobab Fare at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. The East African restaurant, market, and café became a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist and one-time finalist. Eater Detroit named it Best New Restaurant. Their motto, "Detroit ni nyumbani" (Detroit is home in Swahili), wasn't marketing copy. It was a statement of belonging.

But Nadia and Hamissi wanted a larger platform. East African culture and its craftspeople deserved more than a restaurant could offer. They wanted an avenue to directly impact their country of origin through economic support, not charity. In 2023, they founded Soko (meaning "market" in Swahili) to sell packaged foods, jewelry, apparel, and coffee from Burundi.

The Invisible Origin

Here's what most specialty coffee drinkers don't know: Burundi produces exceptional coffee. Bright acidity, rich body, sweet red-wine and floral notes. Approximately 800,000 smallholder farmers grow mostly Bourbon Arabica at altitudes between 1,250 and 2,000 meters above sea level. The country averages 225,000 60-kilogram bags annually. Coffee supports roughly half of Burundi's 10 million population.

Yet Burundi remains invisible in specialty coffee marketing. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda: these neighbors dominate the narrative. Burundi's beans often end up blended, unlabeled, their origin erased before they reach the consumer. Soko changes that equation by controlling the entire story: sourcing from Burundi, roasting in Detroit through Sabbath Coffee Roasters in Clawson (about twenty miles from the city center), and packaging in designs that reflect Burundian fashion.

"Our coffee branding and packaging are driven by the original Burundian fashion. A visit to villages in Burundi is full of folks wearing vibrant, colorful clothes, and we wanted our designs to reflect that very spirit and energy."

Hamissi Mamba

A Model Worth Studying

For Sofia's specialty coffee community, Soko offers something beyond a new origin to explore. It presents a model. Bulgarian roasters and importers rely heavily on East African beans, yet rarely center the voices of diaspora communities or build direct-trade relationships that loop economic benefit back to origin. The parallel extends further: smaller Eastern European roasters often find themselves overlooked in global specialty coffee hierarchies, much like Burundi itself. Visibility and narrative control matter on both ends of the supply chain.

Soko currently offers three single-origin coffees from Burundi. The couple plans to expand, importing directly from Burundi and adding cacao from Congo.

"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."

Фото: Виктор Младенов

Hamissi Mamba

The question Soko raises isn't whether their coffee tastes good. It does. The question is how many other overlooked origins are waiting for their own diaspora-driven reclamation. How many farmers in countries without marketing budgets or Western importers championing their beans are producing exceptional coffee that never reaches specialty shelves with its story intact.

Nadia and Hamissi arrived in Detroit seeking asylum. A decade later, they're reshaping how specialty coffee markets see an entire country. The math here isn't complicated: when immigrant roasters control their own origin story, everyone's cup gets richer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What makes Burundian coffee distinctive in flavor profile?

A: Burundian coffee, primarily Bourbon Arabica grown at 1,250 to 2,000 meters altitude, typically exhibits bright acidity, rich body, and sweet red-wine and floral flavor notes. These characteristics result from the high-altitude growing conditions and the country's approximately 800,000 smallholder farmers who cultivate the beans.

Q: How does Soko by Baobab Fare's business model differ from typical coffee importers?

A: Soko is diaspora-driven, meaning the founders (Burundian refugees Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba) control sourcing, roasting, and branding. They import beans from Burundi, roast locally in Detroit through Sabbath Coffee Roasters, and design packaging reflecting Burundian culture. This keeps narrative and economic control within the diaspora community rather than with Western importers.

Q: Where can specialty coffee professionals learn more about Soko's coffees?

A: Soko by Baobab Fare operates through their Detroit location at Woodward Avenue and West Grand Boulevard. They currently offer three single-origin Burundian coffees and plan to expand to direct imports from Burundi and cacao from Congo. Their parent establishment, Baobab Fare, has received James Beard Award recognition and Eater Detroit's Best New Restaurant designation.