Meet Eden G. Egziabher, the innovative mind behind Makina Cafe. It’s New York’s first and only Ethiopian and Eritrean food truck, according to Black Enterprise.
Egziabher’s Makina cafe was established in 2017 and she was heavily inspired to give people an original Ethiopian food experience. Not only is Makina’s Cafe authentic and delightful but you can also take it to go.
In the beginning it wasn’t easy and other truckers weren’t that welcoming said Egziabher.
“The other food truckers did not welcome us at all. When they see a woman behind [the truck]… they take it as a joke. When you show up and you are expected to fail, you are going to work harder,” she said.
So working hard is what she did and now her food is buzzing. People were lining up to see what was on the menu in no time. Makina Cafe offers a variety of Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes including injera bread, gomen, and sambusas.
“It’s very challenging the fact that I can’t go to a regular grocery store [to get] the ingredients I want. You really have to think outside the box to think about how you are going to make some of these items food truck friendly. It would make a lot of our jobs easier if we had someone to follow, but we didn’t so we created our lane and a lot of it has been trial and error,” Egziabher said.
Stay up to date with Makina Cafe on social media and see where the truck is going to be everyday.
Congratulations Eden!
Photo Courtesy of @MakinaCafe/Instagram
