A family-owned Ethiopian restaurant is closing the doors to one of its longtime locations after more than a decade in business. Taste of Ethiopia in Austin will be shuttering its South Congress Avenue after 12 years at the end of the month.
“It’s like four times or three times more than what we used to pay four or five years ago. So it’s because of that. Everything is expensive in this area,” Mariam told KVUE. “South Congress has become very expensive. And we just – it’s beyond our means.”
Over the years, South Congress has lost dozens of legacy, longstanding businesses to rising rent and redevelopment efforts. Today, South Congress is home to high-end storefronts like Alo, Reformation, LoveShackFancy, Hermès and more.
Mariam and Hailu first opened Taste of Ethiopia in the Austin suburb of Pflugerville, then demand from their customers led them to expand south in 2016. The restaurant is known for its vegan Ethiopian food buffet and serving authentic Ethiopian coffee (Buna) with a traditional ceremony.
The pair said they will keep its original Pflugerville restaurant at 1100 Grand Avenue Pkwy., Pflugerville, TX 78660 open as they plan to find a new space in Austin. MySA reached out to Taste of Ethiopia’s owners for comment.