Coffee

While all very different places, what do Barcelona, Beijing, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Prague, Rome, and Riga all have in common?  One can order a brewed cup of coffee almost anywhere in these cities.  I would even venture to say that they all have their own unique coffee culture whereby tourist and citizens alike are able to find a cozy street front cafe to meet friends, relax, or perhaps read a book.  One can order a cappuccino, an espresso, or a plain ol' Americano to get their daily dose of caffeine.  Not so in Abuja....

While "coffee" is is readily available in here, it is not of the brewed variety.  Those Kenya beans that Starbucks sells have not quite made it to Nigeria.  Instead, there is instant Nescafe single serve packets.  They are usually accompanied by a single serving of evaporated mile and a sugar cube.  It doesn't matter if you are at a hotel, in the office, or at a restaurant, instant coffee is the only choice.

So imagine my surprise when Kate and I went to Lagos over the weekend and went to a coffee shop!  We had brewed coffee and a carrot muffin for breakfast on Saturday.  It was so tasty we ordered a second.  On Sunday we were treated again to the good stuff.  While Abuja does not need a Starbucks or even a McDonalds to invade the restaurant scene, one could make a killing on selling Krups Single Serve Machine, French Presses, or the old school drip or percolating coffee makers!

#IBMCSC Nigeria