Generally, Western dishes; mainly chips, chicken, and pizza, dominate the fast-food industry in most African countries.
One woman is changing this narrative with her Abidjan-based fast food restaurants that serve authentic African cuisines.
While brainstorming with her husband, Akouba Angola settled on the word ‘express’. Derived from the Ivorian ‘Nouchi’ slang, it loosely translates to ‘fast food’.
The growth and establishment of this business was well received by Ivorians that after its establishment in 2021, Dabali Xpress quickly grew to four branches; Dabali Zone 4, Riviera 2, Oscars, and Tray.
As of April 2024, it had 5 branches in the capital city, Abidgan, and one outlet in Bouake, the second largest city.
With a variety of local dishes, Dabali Xpress showcases the Ivory Coast’s culinary culture through local dishes made with speed in hygienic conditions living up to its slogan of “to be served quickly and to eat well”.
Contents
Education
Born and raised in Ivory Coast, Akouba Angola attended a university in Ivory Coast, graduating with a Degree in Economics.
Afterward, she was able to travel to the United States for a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Atlanta, USA.
Upon graduation, she joined her husband in London before settling in Dubai, where she started a clothing business.
She would buy clothes in Dubai and export them to African countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria, mainly securing clients through social media marketing.
In 2017, the mother of two founded Max 15 Fashion Boutique, a clothing store that performed really well until the COVID-19 pandemic struck, slowing down the business due to shipping difficulties.
The founding of Dabali Xpress
Akouba Angola then decided to act on a long-parked plan of running a fast-food restaurant centered around authentic West African dishes, an idea that she had been mulling over for over 8 years.
Together with her husband, Daniel Aggre, they launched Dabali Xpress in 2021.
Before Dabali Xpress, one could barely find fast food restaurants selling African dishes in Ivory Coast, a situation that Akouba Angola’s restaurant chain has changed.
Akouba Angola draws a lot of inspiration from the many jobs she has created in the fast food space, her husband Daniel having been a wait staff himself at a fast food restaurant during his student days abroad.
“This idea was borne out of my husband’s experience as a student abroad where he had to work in fast food restaurants to pay his fees and bills. We said to ourselves ‘Why not replicate the system at home in Côte d’Ivoire but with our local dishes?’”
Akouba Angola
Growth and Expansion of Dabali Xpress
Dabali Express started as a single restaurant within Abidjan but the positive reception by the Abidjan middle class made it easier to expand to other places around the city.
Currently, there are a total of four Dabali Restaurants and Olivia is already working on plans of expanding to other African countries like Nigeria.
Embracing the use of technology with its food ordering app, Dabali offers food delivery services, with thousands of customers enjoying the convenience of local dishes quickly delivered to their doorsteps.
Perhaps one of Akouba Angola’s breakthroughs was the diversification into outside catering services that has seen Dabali Xpress serve food at many weddings, birthday parties, and corporate functions in and around Abidjan.
The restaurants have become a cultural beacon offering Ivorians alternatives to established fast food chains like KFC and Burger King.
Most offerings go for about US$ 5 with signature dishes being; agouti (cane rat/grasscutter stew), kédjenou (chicken/guinea fowl stew), and red-red (Ghanaian bean Stew). Popular accompaniments are attiéké (Cassava Semolina), and foutou (made from cassava, banana, or yam). Sauces include seed sauce and mafé (peanut sauce).
As a stamp of approval for its local cuisine offerings, Dabali Xpress has served as host to many a Cote d’Ivoire’s dignitaries including a visit by the Ivorian Minister of Tourism and Leisure, Saindou Forafana.
The fact that most supplies for the restaurant come from the local markets only makes Ivorians love them more.
It is this local food authenticity that saw Dabali Xpress selected as the official food provider for spectators in stadiums at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (CAF) that was held in, and won by Ivory Coast.
Achivements of Dabali Xpress
In 2022, Dabali Xpress won 1st prize for best fast food reception in Ivory Coast, and in 2023 they won Business Influencer of the Year at the Pulse Influencer Awards.
With over 200 employees, Akouba Angola and her husband are doing their bit to advance Ivorian culinary tourism with plans underway to expand nationally and internationally.
In February 2024, Dabali Xpress brought in a strategic investor, Compagnie des Investisseurs Africains (CIA) into its shareholding.
CIA invested 1.52 million euros (US$ 1.62 million) into Dabali Xpress to enable it to handle the CAF assignment and expand (through franchising) by opening 20 more outlets across Ivory Coast over the next three years.
At businessempires.africa, we wish Akouba Angola the best with her Dabali Xpress expansion plans.
