Omo Omo eyes franchising after Vantaa opening

Omo Omo, which serves Ghanaian flavours, is working towards franchising. Entrepreneur Gloria Boateng opened her first café in Helsinki in 2024 and a second in Tikkurila, Vantaa, in September 2026. Her next aim is to define the operating model clearly enough to ensure that growth does not change the customer experience or service standards. Boateng outlined her plans in an article published by Avecmedia on 20 October.

From two cafés to a replicable concept

Omo Omo began in Helsinki with Boateng having no previous experience of restaurant work and no certainty about the business’s future. The early days were difficult, but the first café has since been followed by a second location. The café-restaurant opened in Tikkurila in September means the business is now running the same concept in two cities.

Boateng’s next goal is to make Omo Omo ready for franchising. This is about developing the operating model, rather than announcing that the business has already started working with franchisees. The distinction matters: opening a second café using the same concept and having a fully developed franchise model are different stages of growth.

For Finland’s franchising community, Omo Omo’s plans illustrate how a potential new chain can emerge from one entrepreneur’s café. The story is not yet about an extensive network of outlets, but about the ambition to turn a café concept built around Ghanaian flavours into a clearly replicable business.

The order Boateng has set out is an important part of the plan: first, the operating model must be clearly defined. The customer experience, service standards and customer loyalty should all be maintained as the business grows. In this context, becoming franchise-ready involves more than simply opening new cafés.

Tikkurila is still a trial

The new Tikkurila café is slightly more spacious than the original Helsinki location. However, it has roughly the same number of seats, at around 14. The second opening therefore does not represent a significant increase in seating capacity, even though the premises offer more room.

Boateng describes the Tikkurila outlet as a trial for now. She wants to establish how the concept works in the area. She is also considering whether the business could move to other premises nearby at a later date, if necessary. A possible relocation is therefore under consideration, rather than a confirmed move.

This makes the Vantaa opening more than just a new address for café customers. Based on Boateng’s stated aim, it is also a test of the concept’s suitability for a new area. Following Helsinki, Tikkurila provides a second setting in which Omo Omo’s way of operating can be put into practice and assessed.

The trial status also matters when interpreting the franchising plans. The second café is already open, but questions about its location and how well the concept works there are still being assessed. The opening should therefore not be taken as proof of a fully developed expansion model. It is a tangible step towards the goal Boateng has now outlined.

The founder’s role changes as the business grows

One of the central growth challenges Boateng describes concerns how she spends her own time. She enjoys serving customers, but also recognises that constantly working behind the counter leaves too little time to develop the business.

“I enjoy working behind the counter, but if I’m always serving customers myself, I don’t have time to address the issues that matter for growth,” Boateng tells Avecmedia.

Her comment reflects a shift from running a café day to day towards developing a business concept. Achieving her goal requires her to make time for matters that go beyond individual customer interactions. She does not, however, present customer-facing work as incompatible with growth: she enjoys working behind the counter, but needs time for development alongside it.

This is a central issue for her ambition. If Omo Omo grows through franchising, the service standards and customer experience Boateng has established should be maintained as the business expands. Clearly defining the operating model is therefore directly linked to what the business wants to offer its customers, rather than simply to the number of new outlets.

The customer experience shapes the next step

Boateng identifies three things that must not change as the business grows: the customer experience, service standards and customer loyalty. These form the starting point for her plans. Franchising is presented not simply as a means of expansion, but as a goal that first requires the foundations of the existing business to be clearly defined.

It is therefore important to describe Omo Omo’s current position accurately. The business has its first café, opened in Helsinki in 2024, and a second café-restaurant, opened in Tikkurila in September 2026. Building a franchise-ready concept is the next goal. Assessing how well the Tikkurila location works and setting aside time for the founder’s development work are part of these preparations for growth.

For the franchising community, the interesting question is how these goals will translate into a practical operating model. The challenge Boateng raises is clear: how can a café preserve the qualities its customers value when the business expands beyond its first location? Omo Omo is now developing its answer at the two-café stage.

Practical note: Entrepreneurs interested in Omo Omo should distinguish between a café that has opened and a franchise concept that is still being developed. The stated aim concerns work on the operating model; it is not yet an available opportunity to join as a franchisee.