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Gearing Up for the Fans
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Yeshimebeth Belay publishes a phone book for the local Ethiopian population and said that many of the restaurants and small businesses are having trouble.
"We have a lot of new businesses in our book, and that shows us businesses are growing," she said. "Everybody is struggling, but they are holding on, and hopefully everybody is excited" for the soccer tournament this week.
Also gearing up is the Expo Restaurant & Nightclub on Ninth Street NW, owned by Abraham Tekle. Tekle, 54, is from Eritrea, which fought two bitter wars with Ethiopia, including one for independence.
Despite that history, Amanuel Abraham, 28, Tekle's eldest son, has been working feverishly with his 16-year-old brother Adam in past weeks to complete a downstairs renovation of the restaurant in time for the soccer fans. The brothers are refurbishing the restaurant floor and adding a bar. Gone will be the dining tables, replaced with couches and sofas, creating what Abraham hopes will be a hip atmosphere.
"I have not seen any of that political divide," Abraham said. "It is a big event for us as well. . . . We are extremely excited as a business, and so are our clientele."
For her part, Messert, the owner of the Chez Hareg bakery, has hired 20 extra workers to help bake the hundreds of cakes and pastries that have been ordered for the special gatherings and parties planned throughout the week. She hopes to use the money she clears from the week to put down concrete or bricks in her back yard, making her temporary patio expansion permanent.
She envisions a backyard patio where customers can spend sultry summer afternoons drinking coffee, eating baked sweets and discussing the latest events of the old country.
