Enterprising Spirit: Ethiopian restaurant offers taste of culture

Editor’s note: Our series Enterprising Spirit documents how businesses and workers are managing the economy’s slow return to life after its sudden shutdown in March – and adapting to new challenges ahead.

When Almaz Ainuu arrived in Spokane 15 years ago, she began cooking traditional Ethiopian dishes for her friends. It was the excitement on their faces after having tried a dish for the first time that prompted her to finally share her recipes with the rest of the world.

Ainuu, who owns Spokane’s first and only Ethiopian restaurant, has continued to share her culture through traditional recipes, as COVID-19 restrictions ease up and diners are welcome again into Queen of Sheba.

The walls inside the restaurant are lined with Ethiopian bamboo. The tablecloths, games and other decor are items reminiscent of Ainuu’s motherland.

“I’m a people person. I love people, and it’s a reward knowing they enjoy it when they come here,” Ainuu said.

The restaurant closed during the pandemic and opened back up for takeout on May 4. Ainuu began allowing dine-in services three weeks ago. Ainuu said she was ecstatic when she heard she could open again because that meant she would see her customers, even if it was for a brief moment while they picked up their food.

“All my customers that I know come in and I wanna give them a hug, but you can’t, you know. You’re wearing masks and keeping your distance,” she said.

Customer safety is the most important thing now, Ainuu said.

Traditionally a place where people can enjoy each other’s company over great food, closures and restrictions have somewhat limited the dine-in experience at Queen of Sheba. The area in the back where friends and family can sit around a large food platter in communal style is still open to diners, but the seating has been rearranged to comply with social distancing rules.

Some tables and chairs in the main seating areas were removed to open up the space. Ainuu and all of her employees have been wearing gloves and masks to make sure they are keeping themselves and their customers as safe as possible.

Although they haven’t seen an increase of people coming inside to eat, they’ve received a high volume of takeout orders every day, particularly around dinner, Ainuu said.

“It doesn’t feel normal, it feels a bit funny,” Ainuu said. “But it’s about adjusting. We know it’s gonna pass, we know it’s gonna become normal after a while, once everything is safe.”

Customers have become like family and have been supportive from the beginning, Ainuu said. Many small businesses are struggling because of the impact of closures, so seeing customers go out of their way to share the restaurant with friends and on social media has increased her appreciation for them, she added.

“I feel blessed knowing they’re learning about our culture, they’re learning about our food.” Ainuu said. “It’s such a great privilege and honor for me to share that.”

When Ainuu opened Queen of Sheba 10 years ago, she also opened Spokane residents to a new cultural experience.

Though Queen of Sheba offers recipes with and without meat, Ainuu’s most popular dishes are vegetarian and are served with injera, an Ethiopian flatbread.

But Ainuu’s contribution extends beyond the ability to share her culture and includes the opportunity to employ refugees who are not fluent in English. She said she feels blessed to help them transition and make a difference in their lives .

Ainuu, who was born in Ethiopia, grew up learning how to cook alongside her mother, who was the head cook at the private school she attended, and by following recipes the two maids in their home cooked.

She said her love for cooking developed at an early age, as she made meals with the women around her.

Ethiopian food is distinctive because of the spices used in each dish, Ainuu said.

“We don’t only use salt and pepper. We use exotic spices, and they’re very expensive,” she said.

Queen of Sheba has seen growth and success through the years. It’s been a learning process trying to figure out how to run a business successfully, but Ainuu said she feels incredibly blessed to own her business and share her culture .

“I feel like I’m the mom here and all the kids are hungry, and they’re eating and they finish their food,” she said. “When I see their excitement, I get excited – it’s more than just food.”

Queen of Sheba is located in the Flour Mill, 621 W. Mallon Ave. Suite 426. It’s open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 1 to 4 p.m.