Melange Coffee Roasters, a Megenagna, Addis Ababa-based business founded by an Ethiopian former employee of Starbucks in the Netherlands, has invested Br40m ($1.37m) in a new coffee roasting factory capable of processing 7,500kg of coffee per day.

Melange Coffee Roasters has imported the equipment for the factory from two Turkish companies: Toper and Hyper Mack. It means the company can roast, grind and pack 7,500kg per day, while its packing unit can pack 1,800 bags of 250g (450kg) per hour. The company has 40 employees and expects to add 40 more upon becoming fully operational.

Melange Coffee Roasters is targeting both domestic and international markets. Ethiopian exports of coffee were worth $763m in 2018, accounting for 230,764 tonnes.