Co-founder of Bloombar, one of Ghana’s finest nightlife lounges, restaurants, and clubs, Kofi Adjei Maafo, has urged colleagues in the hospitality business to adopt the “one voice” culture to change the perception of the hospitality industry in Ghana.
According to him, the vision is to change the narrative and perception of how people view hospitality services in Ghana. He recommended that the industry stakeholders come together to uphold the standard of purity and sustain the cultural richness and diversity associated with Ghanaian interests.
Speaking at the soft launch of BlueChip Hospitality and Bloombar’s 5th anniversary, Mr. Adjei Marfo commended some of the leading forces in the hospitality industry for keeping up to a standard of service with one voice and suggested that the industry identify its power in unity.
Recounting the five-year journey of Bloombar, he narrated how tedious it has been to get investors and support from corporate Ghana, which used to have a perception against the hospitality industry, “Now the financial institutions call us establishments, not just bars, and they chase us to patronize their services. We are so powerful when we come together and listen to each other. In Accra, we are one voice.”
The launch took place on Thursday at Bloombar in the presence of both the founders Kofi Adjei Maafo and Keith Edem Aweke and other hospitality founders from Garage, Oliver Twist. In attendance were King Promise, Jason EL A, and some astute personalities in the country.
As part of Bloombar’s fifth-anniversary celebration, BlueChip has rolled out an exclusive lineup of events dubbed ‘December with Bloombar’ to elevate the December in Ghana initiative by the ministry of tourism and culture.
After kicking off on Thursday, December 15, with the fifth year anniversary hosted by Sheldon the Turnup, and introducing the BlueChip brand and its global expansion plans for the new year. Other exclusive December events include Afrochella’s Official Afterparty, Everyday People x Ghana Edition, London’s popular DLT Brunch, a D’usse Day Party and more. Notable names that have passed through the popular venue include Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Jidenna, Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Rema, Ayra Starr, and Micheal Blackson to name a few.
Established in December 2017, Bloombar has managed to capture the hearts of Ghanaians as well as visitors in and out of Accra. Founders Kofi Adjei Maafo and Keith Edem Aweke have decades of collective work in the hospitality space combining Kofi’s passion for experiential creative direction and Keith’s expertise in conceptualizing crafty cocktails and menus. The duo envisioned a high-level bar experience in Ghana that integrated their worldly knowledge with the rich spirit and culture of their homeland — the very essence of Bluechip as they tie elements of West African culture into every iteration of food, experience, and business they bring forth globally. Past partnerships and collaborations include Mastercard, Uber, Diageo, D’usse, Jack Daniel, Martini and returning partners Afrochella and Everyday People.
Co-founder, Keith Aweke states, “This industry has always existed. But the issue was, how people perceived it. Now the next generation of bars opening has an understanding that you don’t just come into this to make drinks – you need to make an impact, on the lives of the people you employ, and through the quality of service you provide”
“In the past, Hospitality has not been given the credit its due mainly due to the perception of the industry as one that is below the other sectors of generating wealth and making an impact on society. BlueChip Hospitality, through Bloom Bar changed that perception in Ghana forever. The brand redefined hospitality within the food and beverage space and elevated the standard and position of hospitality amongst the sectors of the economy,” further explains Kofi Adjei Maafo.
See official lineup of events with additional details below –
12.22 |Blooprint Presents UK vs USA Hip Hop Night. 5 DJs, 2 sounds, 1 mic.
12.23 |Through the Speakers
12.24 |D’usse Day Party
12.25 |Christmas with Bloom
12.26 |Bloom Day Party
12.27 |Everyday People Ghana x featuring DJ Moma
12.28 |Best Day Party Ever
12.29 |Afrochella Official Afterparty
12.30 |DLT x UK’s popular brunch series in Ghana
12.31 |New Years at Bloombar
1.02 |Brunch and Vibes featuring xx
1.04 |Recess
BlueChip has also been tapped to curate the official bar experience for the highly anticipated Black Star Line Festival by Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa in addition to Mr Eazi’s Detty Rave and King Promise’s Promiseland concert. Follow @bloombargh to stay up to date on more announcements from the Bluechip team this December!
About Bluechip Hospitality
At their core, BlueChip has incorporated elements of Africa into every iteration of food, experience, and business they conceptualize globally. The group’s offerings include business conceptualization (development, startup and growth); construction (mortgage review, contracting, design); menu development and curation; staff recruitment, management, hiring and training; and overall operations systems, management and setup. By celebrating the modern touch of African hospitality and the continent as a whole, BlueChip amplifies the 21st century Ghanaian and carefully curates the very best of Ghanaian hospitality, to share with the rest of the world.
About Bloom Bar
Since its founding in 2017, Bloom Bar has been the preeminent nightlife destination in Ghana’s capital, Accra, renowned across the continent for its signature, down-to-earth ambience, carefully curated cocktails, expert mixologists and inimitable vibes. Bloom Bar was envisioned by lifelong friends and business partners Keith Edem Aweke and Kofi Adjei Maafo as a way to bring their love of elevated hospitality to their home, and create a must-visit open-air bar experience for Ghanaians and tourists alike. By creating career opportunities in hospitality and providing unpretentious five-star service for everyone, Bloom Bar has become a model for new venues, elevating the nightlife and hospitality industries across West Africa, and beyond. Now, a cultural phenomenon with a loyal audience and nearly 40K followers across digital platforms, Bloom Bar has inspired the next generation of Ghanaian entrepreneurs to pursue sectors that may seem like a risk. To date, Bloom Bar has been nominated for three categories at the GEM Hospitality Awards, taking home “Best Nightlife,” and “Best Game Changer.”
