A visit to Abuja’s Akara Café tells the story of a popular Nigerian delicacy gone premium in the capital city.

By Calista Njoku

It was my friend’s 27th birthday weekend. “Hey babes, we will be having breakfast at Akara Café. Do you mind coming?” “Sure,” I replied, “We’ll pick you up from your estate at 10a.m.” “Alright, Queen, see ya.”

Throughout the night, my mind was filled with excitement at eating akara again after a long time. At 9:55 am, we were seated in my friend’s car vibing to Big Energy by Ladipoe as we drove down to Accra Street, opposite Istrom Estate, Wuse Zone 5, where the famous Akara Cafe is located.

For those who don’t know, akara is a staple meal made from bean paste, chili pepper, and onion, in addition to condiments (depending on the region/state and dexterity of the cook), fried in vegetable or palm oil as desired. It can either be eaten with bread or most times served with pap, which is also known as akamu, a meal made from maize.

At Akara Café, the well-prepared and packaged akara is either served as a full combo – 10 pieces of akara, pap, egg, toasts, sausages, and chips for ₦3,500; or as a mini combo – seven pieces of akara, pancakes, and pap for ₦2,000; and complete combo with 10 pieces of akara, pap, eggs, toast, sausages, pancakes, chips, and fish for ₦5,000. You can also opt for just akara sold for ₦600 for five pieces. With ₦2,500 to ₦5,000, you can have a nice breakfast for two.

The popular outlet, which is reputed for its high footfalls, also offers takeout packs which come at an extra cost of ₦500 each. Akara Cafe, formerly Beanbag, was conceived to create a familiar yet nostalgic clean and healthy environment where akara can be eaten while enjoying the companionship of friends.

Martha Rrazi, CEO of Akara Café said operating a successful business in Nigeria can be cumbersome and it takes deliberate effort, passion, audacity, resilience, patience, and steadfastness to survive in this terrain. The Cross River State-born restaurateur, who had successfully run a lingerie store online but had to quit due to the steady decline in Forex to start Akara Café, said: “The challenges of successfully running a business in Nigeria are almost similar, ranging from funding, staffing, economic instability, and poor government structure, among others, but a major challenge for businesses has always been the disposition of people towards small and micro businesses that are being managed by women.”

She added: “People tend to stereotype and see these businesses as hobbies. For single women, it is something you do until you get married and for married women, it’s just a side business done out of boredom. However, my goal is to create a franchise for Akara Cafe all over the world in no distant time.”

It was all fun after all as we ordered from various combos. Also available on the menu are hot and cold drinks like Taroma tea, iced and cold chocolate, soft drinks, fresh juice, coffee, and the signature G-raw detox juice. For about ₦2,000, the meal can be said to be moderately affordable. The environment is kid-friendly and there are several games like Scrabble, Whot, and Monopoly, among other indoor games that one can play while waiting for your meal order. But I’d suggest that the management incorporates into the set up sound systems with music that patrons can vibe to while they await their order.

Akara Cafe also offers ready-made bean paste on sale for those who would prefer to prepare akara themselves.

Calista Njoku is a realtor and fashion enthusiast. She lives in Abuja

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.