As we conclude our seven-day “My Food is African, My Food is Ethiopian” campaign: a celebration of our indigenous foods and culinary heritage, we are proud to highlight two inspiring women entrepreneurs who are bringing Ethiopian cultural foods back to the table.
Chachi Tefera — Reviving Culture Through Coffee and Cuisine
Meet Chachi Tefera, founder and owner of Werka Coffee and Restaurant.
Chachi’s entrepreneurial journey began four years ago with a simple yet powerful vision: to engage in the coffee business through roasting and packaging. She launched a small venture called Yejebena Buna, which gradually expanded into serving traditional cultural breakfasts. What began as a modest coffee initiative has since grown into Werka Coffee and Restaurant: a vibrant space celebrating Ethiopia’s diverse food heritage.
Reflecting on her motivation, Chachi explains:
“Because of different external and internal factors, this generation is moving away from its own culture. We Ethiopians have abundant indigenous foods and a beautifully diverse culture, yet we have failed to promote and share it as it truly deserves.”
Recently, she marked another milestone by opening the fifth branch of Werka Coffee and Restaurant in the Lebu area of Addis Ababa. Today, Werka serves a wide variety of cultural dishes from different corners of the country: encouraging people to reconnect with their roots while embracing the richness of Ethiopian cuisine.
Her message resonates strongly with our campaign vision:
“Let’s go back to the origin. Let’s discover, use, and share our cultural foods with the world while protecting our health and identity. Together, we can make a change. My food is Ethiopian. My food is African!”
During our 7-day campaign, Werka Coffee and Restaurant prepared four unique Ethiopian dishes that beautifully reflected the diversity and depth of our food traditions.
Nardos Bogale — Serving with Passion and Authenticity
We also celebrate Nardos Bogale, founder and owner of Taste of Nardi Coffee and Restaurant.
Two and a half years ago, Nardos began her journey with a small coffee shop around Summit, Addis Ababa. Built from her deep love for coffee and genuine passion for serving people, Taste of Nardi was never just a business. From the beginning, she was personally preparing, cooking, and serving food with care and intention.
She named the coffee shop Taste of Nardi because she believes in serving only what she truly enjoys herself. For Nardos, quality and authenticity are non-negotiable: she does not serve what she does not love.
Over the past year, Taste of Nardi has expanded into a full restaurant located in the Bolle (Japan area), on the first floor of the Ministry of Tourism building in Addis Ababa. The restaurant offers both local and international dishes and is particularly known for its diverse and flavorful Ethiopian cultural cuisine.
Every Saturday and Sunday, customers gather to enjoy one of Ethiopia’s most cherished traditional dishes, Doro Wet. In addition, Taste of Nardi provides catering services and offers exceptional Jebena buna for special programs and gatherings.
During our campaign, Taste of Nardi prepared three unique Ethiopian dishes that enriched the celebration and amplified the message of cultural pride.
Gratitude and Collective Impact
On behalf of our members and partners, we extend our sincere gratitude to Chachi Tefera and Werqa Coffee and Restaurant, as well as Nardos Bogale and Taste of Nardi Coffee and Restaurant, for their contributions to the 7-day My Food Is Ethiopian/African social media campaign.
We also thank everyone who participated by sharing, engaging, and amplifying the message through our campaign hashtags. Your continued commitment to celebrating indigenous foods helps strengthen our cultural identity and promote sustainable food systems.
Together, we reaffirm:
My Food is Ethiopian. My Food is African.
