“What is a staple grain used in many African dishes?”
“What are the colors of the Ethiopian flag?”
“When did Kenya gain its independence?”
Once you answer those questions, come in the door.
That’s the experience Jeff Sankeu is creating with Trybal, the African-themed speakeasy he is bringing to 1670 Champa St. in downtown Denver later this month.
The software developer created a special app for entry. Read a sentence, answer the multiple choice quiz correctly, and you’ll be let into a dimly lit, 1,900-square-foot space featuring art, decor, drinks and meals from the continent.
“Africa has been so misrepresented for so long,” the Cameroonian native said. “I never felt like there was a temple, like a physical place, where people could really soak in that culture, and really take the time to appreciate it.”
Trybal will serve cocktails and a menu featuring dishes and ingredients from several different countries. Guava, bissap and baobab juices will be available alongside plates of jollof rice, suya and other small bites.
Sankeu also wants to have more expansive, filling options available for delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats.
“People could come in here one day and eat some food from South Africa, and then the next eat a meal from Ethiopia,” he said. “We’re keeping the knowledge going as you sit there.”
Sankeu, 33, immigrated to the United States in 2008 at age 16 and studied computer science at the University of Oklahoma. He moved to Colorado in 2013, and has since founded several startups as a software engineer.
The seeds for Trybal were planted about four years ago, when, alongside a friend, he started hosting pop-up parties featuring only Afrobeats music. Scatta Afrobeats, as the business is called, started in Denver but quickly grew to Austin, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Miami, Florida, among other cities. Sankeu still hosts two events in Denver each month, rotating between venues including Orchid and Dahlia.
But with $200,000 put into the build-out for Trybal, Sankeu is ready to have a more permanent home.
“I could have found a space maybe in Aurora or somewhere else that might be a little bit cheaper, but it wasn’t just about that. People drive to downtown Denver to go to high-end spaces,” Sankeu said. “I want people to come to Trybal for a high-end African experience.”
Sankeu considers the 1,900-square-foot space, for which he signed a five-year lease in January, an educational haven as well. He said he’s paying a premium to import handmade African art to display, and plans to eventually sell pieces to customers.
“If (I’m) able to buy something from them for $100, $150, think about how much I could help (an artist’s) family,” Sankeu said. “It’s not just me taking their work, but it’s a way of giving back and helping them.”
The rest of Trybal’s interior is also an “homage to Africa,” as a mural depicting an African woman and a lion amid scenes of the savanna explicitly states. Wood and plants are scattered about the space. Some of the dishware, like handmade cups imitating elephant tusks, is also imported from Africa.
“Everything in here, if you really pay attention, is going to have you wonder and want to learn more about our culture,” Sankeu said.
There’s no dance floor, although Sankeu is finishing up building a stage for occasional performances and DJs. He wants to have an environment centered around conversation and appreciation for African culture rather than just another place to drink.
That’s the main reason Trybal will close at midnight – to separate his speakeasy from clubs and other nightlife in Denver.
“Picture a bar in the middle of a jungle and bring luxury to the jungle and see what you come up with,” he said of the design process. “Africa is very colorful, so you get a lot of those colors. But you also get some of the standard luxury like gold and some of those accent pieces.”