“In a nutshell, this is everything I wanted to do in life,” said Daniel Orwa, referring to being a successful entrepreneur in Norfolk. Orwa was born in Kenya and lived in South Africa, Iowa, West Virginia, Illinois, and South Dakota. But he chose Nebraska as the place to settle down and start his entrepreneurial career.
He has now started two businesses in Norfolk. In 2019, he opened 411 Restaurant & Lounge, which offers food and drinks in downtown Norfolk. He then established Fenders Coffee Bar in 2022, which serves coffee, food, and craft beer.
Orwa first came to the U.S. in high school when he moved to Iowa City, Iowa. He traveled around the U.S. during college before ending up in Rapid City, South Dakota where he met his wife, Katie Orwa. She convinced him to move from South Dakota to Nebraska after finding a job at Nucor in Norfolk.
A canvas waiting to be painted
Upon arriving to Norfolk, Orwa—who holds a degree in tourism and hospitality management—saw the city’s potential to grow. He was struck by its beauty, but he also noticed many closed storefronts when he first visited. He went home and began drawing up plans to revitalize downtown Norfolk.
“There’s joy in reviving a town,” he said. “The opportunity in small towns is like a big canvas with potential that needs to be actualized. These towns are waiting for the right investors, and an open-minded community will allow those investors to do what they do best.”
He explained that some towns are sitting near a tourism gem, and it only takes one person to point out the value of seizing the opportunity. Developing untapped tourism assets grows the community and boosts the economy. It also enhances quality of life for residents. Norfolk has seized opportunities to develop its riverfront and downtown through numerous projects over the last few years.
A picture of small business success
Nebraska has proved to be an ideal location for Orwa to bring his business ideas to life. “The good thing about [starting a business in Nebraska] is the ease of being able to set it up and put it together.” Launching a new business venture is never an easy process. It takes hard work and diligence. But Nebraska makes the process of starting the business simple, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on building the business and connecting with the community. “As you give back to the community and you promote the community in a positive way, you’re more likely to succeed,” added Orwa.
The first business idea Orwa chose to implement was a gastropub in downtown Norfolk. 411 Restaurant & Lounge features Nebraska fare that’s familiar to local diners, such as steak and eggs, breakfast sandwiches, and burgers. The restaurant supplements these traditional offerings with seafood dishes that expand the community’s experience. One example is the Boom Boom Shrimp, tempura-breaded shrimp tossed in boom boom sauce (a spicy mayonnaise-based sauce). Another is the Lobster Burger, which includes lobster, a beef patty, arugula, and parmesan garlic sauce.
Orwa conducted extensive research before launching the business. He said learning about the community and its needs has been essential to his success as an entrepreneur. “I’m an outsider playing in someone else’s backyard. I had to start by fully educating myself on how things work and seeing how I fit in with the culture,” he explained.
Connecting with the right people and resources has contributed to the success of Orwa’s ventures. In particular, he has benefited from programs at the Nebraska Enterprise Fund (NEF), which he discovered through the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce. NEF supports small and startup businesses statewide by connecting them with the right tools to get started and grow to their potential.
Having successfully established 411, Orwa decided to open Fenders Coffee Bar in 2022. Fenders provides Kenyan coffee sourced directly from farmers through a program that ensures 80% of the Green Purchase Price (a pricing model that emphasizes sustainability) is returned to the farmer. It also offers an all gluten-free food menu, craft cocktails, and local beer.
Establishing a second business in the same city showed Orwa’s loyalty to the Norfolk community. Meanwhile, the City of Norfolk has shown its commitment to growth by continuing to improve and develop the downtown area. “When people come visit Norfolk, not only are they exposed to the new riverfront area, but they can also walk through town and engage with what’s going on. Those two elements complement each other,” explained Orwa.
The next big thing
Daniel Orwa exemplifies the entrepreneurial energy abounding in communities like Norfolk. Encouraged by the success he has achieved and the support he has received, Orwa is already exploring another business opportunity. The project, a downtown apartment/retail complex, is currently in the research and development phase. Orwa considers it his next big thing. “If it’s done right, it would not only change the way residential rental is done, but it would change the environmental impact.”
Orwa said the opportunity he has found in Norfolk exists throughout Nebraska. “With the right people and the right mindset, and then proper planning and funding, entrepreneurs can succeed here in any small town,” he said. He thanks his supporting cast for this success. These include the staff at 411 and Fenders; his wife and daughters; and siblings Maurine, Donald, and Zadock.
