A former Artcaffé employee has added fresh claims to the growing staff welfare concerns surrounding the restaurant chain, alleging that junior workers face low pay, harsh discipline, poor communication from management and limited room to raise complaints internally.
The former worker, who asked not to be identified, says they worked at Artcaffé between 2023 and 2025 and witnessed several incidents that raised questions about how the company treats junior staff, especially stewards and newly promoted employees.
According to the former employee, one staff member who had allegedly been promoted from steward to the bar section was later dismissed after being accused of copying a bar exam. The former worker questioned why the employee was not first given a warning, asked to repeat the exam, or returned to his previous steward role instead of being fired.
The former staffer claims this reflected a wider culture where small mistakes can allegedly lead to serious punishment, while young workers with potential are easily pushed out of the company.
The employee further alleges that many of the senior people in Artcaffé’s management structure know each other from previous workplaces or from earlier stages within the same industry, making it difficult for ordinary workers to raise complaints. According to the testimony, HR officers, chefs and managers are often connected through past working relationships, leaving junior employees feeling that internal complaints may not be handled independently.
The former worker also claims that some junior leaders mistreat new employees because they themselves had difficult experiences when joining the company. Instead of improving the environment for new workers, the source alleges that some leaders repeat the same harsh treatment and justify it by saying they also went through similar struggles.
A major concern raised in the testimony is the pay given to stewards. The former worker claims that some stewards earn around KSh 16,500, an amount they describe as shameful in the current economy because rent and transport can consume almost everything.
The source says stewards play a major role in keeping branches running, yet they are often looked down upon despite being educated and full of ideas. The former employee claims that many stewards hold degrees or have knowledge in different fields, but they do not speak up because some older leaders allegedly view younger, educated workers as threats.
According to the former employee, waiters previously used to voluntarily contribute small amounts to support stewards, but this culture has reportedly faded in some branches, leaving some junior workers struggling so much that they walk home.
The source also called on Artcaffé’s owner to establish more direct contact with staff instead of relying only on information from managers and senior teams. They argued that the owner should occasionally visit kitchens, interact with junior workers, listen to their concerns and encourage teams directly.
The former employee claims that many young staff members have strong ideas in areas such as artificial intelligence, creativity, advertising, marketing and customer engagement, but these ideas rarely reach decision makers because of the gap between management and younger workers.
They proposed the creation of a group of young Gen Z representatives within the company to help bridge the communication gap between senior management and junior staff.
The former worker says they met many promising young employees during hygiene training and induction sessions across branches including Westgate Mall, Gastro and Square Rhapta, and believes the company is losing talent because of poor internal communication and harsh management culture.
The testimony also alleges that Artcaffé has changed from what it used to be, with some promoted Kenyan managers allegedly becoming more focused on their own interests than staff welfare. The former worker claims junior staff do much of the difficult work while rewards, allowances and recognition allegedly go to managers.
The former employee further raised serious allegations around possible internal irregularities, including claims of exaggerated food costs, fake employee numbers, false salary details and ghost workers. These claims have not been independently verified, but they add to the mounting pressure on Artcaffé to publicly address concerns being raised by former and current workers.
The latest testimony comes after earlier staff complaints alleged exhausting shifts, unsafe late-night transport arrangements, salary deductions, poor meals, management intimidation, weak HR support and unfair treatment of pregnant workers.
Artcaffé has built one of Kenya’s most visible restaurant brands, with a polished public image and popular outlets across Nairobi. However, the testimonies now emerging from staff and former workers continue to paint a different picture behind the counter.
The company should publicly respond to the allegations and explain how it handles staff discipline, internal exams, steward pay, worker complaints, HR independence, promotions, junior staff welfare, management accountability and claims of possible internal payroll or cost irregularities.