Africanita Market and Conspagna Ethiopian Restaurant opened their doors in the Little Saigon neighborhood this past winter. Both places sought locations on Jackson Street and were thrilled to land their spot. “We spent two years, the same day we saw this location we decided [on it]” grins Tesfaye Gebrkidan, Conspagna co-owner.
Africanita is a market of Central African origin, with a diverse array of essential products and food. Conspagna serves traditional foods with flavorful meat and vegetable dishes and, of course, the famous Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Drawing customers from communities near and far — Seattle, Federal Way, Tacoma, Shoreline — Jackson Street is a central spot for both businesses. Maraviha, a customer stopping by with family, excitedly shared, “I live near here and am so happy for this shop to show my home country’s culture and food. I feel at home here. Come visit!”
Patrons at both businesses emphasized that feeling of home. “Not many places have tibs (beef or lamb cooked in butter and spices) and doro wat (chicken stew) that tastes just like back home,” vouched Samuel Shumye, dining with friends.
Gabriella, who was cashiering and supporting co-owner Laurinda Madilo Andre with a new shipment at Africanita, shared: “I thought, I buy here so often, why not help out? I haven’t seen some of these products in 9 years, some are straight from Angola and the Congo.”
Africanita and Conspagna bring new diasporas to celebrate community and culture in the neighborhood, itself with a diverse history.
“It’s really great to see additional communities join the Little Saigon area. The Black and Tan Club (an African American-owned jazz club renowned for a mixed-race clientele and drawing national talent to Seattle) used to be here and this reminds me of the blending of communities” said Andy Pham, Community Engagement Manager at Friends of Little Saigon. Both African American and Jewish communities had large diasporas before Little Saigon came to be.
Madidilo Andre and Mariano Pedro, married and co-owners of Africanita, spent five months searching for a spot in the neighborhood. Where they landed, across from the Little Saigon streetcar stop, was the only lessor to call them back. “We are the first African market in the International District,” said Madidilo Andre, proudly. Africanita is only one of two within a 5-mile radius.
Disaggregated demographic data is lacking for African immigrant communities, but East Africans, which includes Ethiopians and Eritreans, are notable for having the largest African population in King County, with about 40,000 residents, according to the 2014 Census.
“I come [to Conspagna] with different friends every three weeks. Sometimes I am full and I still come here and get to try what my friend is having,” said Haji Mirkab, resident of Seattle for 40 years and a self-proclaimed “Habesha,” a term used nowadays to describe people from the Eritrean and Ethiopian diaspora.
“The remodeling is so nice, there is music twice a month, and there is a great chef. This is a top tier Ethiopian restaurant.” Mirkab recommended the veggie combo, awaze tibs, and yeshekla tibs. The whole fried fish was also recommended from a passbyer.
For those new to Ethiopian food, there are vegetable dishes, which typically include lentils, collard greens, chickpeas, cabbage and meats that are cooked in sauces rich with various spice mixes. Dishes are served on a bed of injera (crepe-like with a vinegary taste) used to pick up the food. Hence Conspagna’s logo… a fork and knife crossed out. Embrace the tradition, use your hands. Conspagna offers french bread as an addition or alternative to injera.
Meanwhile, Africanita’s growth has been exponential. “We started off with one box of everything and now we get 10 boxes,” said Madidilo Andre. The store, like most international markets, has ingredients that transcend cultures: aromatic spices, basmati rice, dried fish, and Indomie packs. A selection of personal care products, cacao butter lotions to vaseline pomades, are also a distinguishing feature.
Excited to join the area, Madidilo Andre is nonetheless hoping to have more security and safety. The shop experiences repeated shoplifting. For Conspagna, located on Weller at the old Bun & Oc spot, they have break-in and parking concerns. The team uses nighttime security to try to mitigate the first.
“We don’t want to fight with anyone or create any problems. Some people park for days at a time [and] we do not want to tow them,” said Gebrkidan. They’re hopeful that they will get their request fulfilled with the City of Seattle for a loading zone.
Still, Gebrkidan is energized by everyone who has visited his restaurant.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this quick. We have had support from the neighborhood, those walking by, who live nearby.” The restaurant is also enjoying great reviews. One couple, walking in, shared that they came for dinner because they saw the shiny 4.9 star review on Google.
Customer Shumye, who gave a resounding food review, remarked that Conspagna is unique in that it offers a space for young Ethiopians to come and enjoy their culture and music. “We want to share our culture with different communities.”
Gebrkidan invites everyone to come join music nights held at least twice a month, featuring local artists and those from across the country, like Washington D.C. Follow Conspagna on social media to get updates.
