Injera Inc.
Ethiopian Cafe Rises from Baking Fame
By April Gruszkowski
Photography by April Gruszkowski
In the ‘90s, Meaza Zemedu supplied injera—the spongy Ethiopian flatbread that does triple duty as plate, utensil and main ingredient—to area restaurants from her basement kitchen. As demand continued to grow, she realized she’d be better off going into business for herself.
“I might as well make it worthwhile,” she said of the 17-hour days she puts in at Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe—the only restaurant she supplies nowadays.
At her latest venture, one can buy groceries such as exotic coffee, spices, wine, Italian pastries and, of course, her signature injera. In addition to the food, Meaza sells Ethiopian goods such as books, jewelry—even DVDs and CDs.
According to Zemedu, her market is the kind of place where patrons can meet for lunch, pop in for a cup of coffee or dessert, or pick up some last minute groceries, all at their convenience. “They’re able to get a lot of stuff in one stop,” she suggested.
From the looks of it, her customers appreciate having such a centralized resource around. There is a visible sense of community in the way customers and employees pause to catch up, chatting and laughing with each other like old friends. Zemedu noted that Falls Church is home to a large and thriving Ethiopian community, especially along Columbia Pike, and that the restaurant has proven so popular, many regulars travel from well outside the area to dine there.
“They come from Baltimore, McLean, Dulles, Silver Spring—everywhere,” Zemedu said. “This restaurant is known all over.” She touted tibs, a native dish of sauteed meat or vegetables, as her favorite menu item.
On the weekends, Ethiopian bands play on a small stage and dance floor in a corner near the front of the restaurant. On Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., customers can enjoy the traditional Ethiopian coffee service.
Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe: 5700 Columbia Pike, Falls Church; 703-820-2870; www.meazaethiopiancuisine.com
(October 2008)
Tags: Chew on this, Market Watch