Before the storefront. Before the café. Before the logo was sketched or the first bar was molded, there was a spark.

Every Makenu bar begins in heat. But not just any heat. The kind that hums with intention. That coaxes cacao into becoming something more.

A Journey from Bar to Bean

Tracing Makenu’s Roots in Uganda

It’s early May 2023. The Ugandan air is warm and fragrant as Makenu co-owner Tucker Juan heads deeper into the countryside. Lush hills roll toward the sky, goats graze along the roadside, and the day hums with the kind of color and rhythm that can’t be rushed.