Marketing to the Ethiopian community is tricky. So tricky infact that only few businesses survive a prolonged period of time. Ethiopian Restaurants have distinctive marketing techniques that have worked for them. The successful ones use specific methodology to sustain their businesses.
Dukem Restaurant uses extreme advertising. I have heard that about 2% of the annual profit goes towards marketing and advertising; that's huge by Ethiopian standards. Some like Zeds Restaurant use traditional restaurant marketing techniques by targeting niche city publications, like the DC city paper. Others use entertainmen; by bringing musicians to perform consistently like that of a tchnique used by Roha Restaurant. Dama Restaurant believes in product; good food sells itself. Some use beautiful Ethiopian girls like I have mentioned in the past. All use multitudes of techniques. Most do not believe in customer service IMHO!
We know the successful restaurants, but more so are ones we haven’t heard of; those that fail or are not successful.
This applies to all Ethiopian businesses. The continually successful businesses use large amount of time & money to sustain their business. Not to mention the Public Relations. Although the term is not specifically used in the Ethiopian Community, PR is crucial. They call it the ‘weRea.’ ‘Sime’ etc. The reputation of an Ethiopian business or business owner is very sensitive. It breaks or makes a business. There are those that are experts at handling this.
Over my years in the DC metro area, I have seen many talented Ethiopian business people making tons of money by successfully marketing towards Ethiopians. And then there are those that get frustrated and commit not to ever work with Ethiopians. At the end, Ethiopians in the DC area have buying power and many are going to try to exploit this market by targeting their business to this niche. There are lawyers, designers, entertainers, mechanics, contractors, towing companies, photographers, massage therapists, real estate agents, travel agents, etc Virtually everything an Ethiopian needs is provided by an Ethiopian. If you have seen the latest Ethiopian Yellow Pages which is almost 1000 pages, you will accept this as truth.
The unfortunate truth is that most businesses targeting the Ethiopian community fail. Most are not around for more than a year or two. Few businesses stay around even if the owner/service provider is losing money; just so that they could work within the Ethiopian community. A minute tiny amount of businesses actually sustain a prolonged period of time. And an even lesser amount actually makes good money.
Ethiopian Party Promotions!
From what I have seen there is no one savvier than party promoter. These guys are marketing guru’s. PR geniuses, who have made themselves household names in the constraint Ethiopian community. There are a few in every major American city.
There are the promoters, the disk jockey’s (DJs) and then their entourage. Some of the promoters are also Dj’s. And a few of the promoters actually own they clubs. In the DC area, there are Delish, Aman Bruck, Teferi, Markos. Dee, Danny and DJ Menge (ny); I am sure most of you have heard at least one then you are oblivious.
Long weekends, holiday seasons and summers are the hottest seasons for party promotions. These guys make thousands of dollars a night. The inclusion of DJ names makes a party. DJ’s like DJ Mamush, DJ Banti, DJ Yafet, DJ fubu (LA) DJ Nati (Dallas) DJ Fitsum (Bay area) are also household names. Although recently the DJ names have been less used in marketing. I assume that party promoters are cutting costs in order to make the profit margin higher.
DC party promotion is slightly more advanced than other major US cites. In the past flooding the city with Fliers was signficant PR; as used in other cites. These days they used sophistacted marketing that is cheaper and better. In the high seasons, these promoters use countless methodologies to make their parties.
PR is the name of the game. The promoters convince key people to come to their parties. They let popular girls to come to their parties without paying. They send mass emails out with locations of their parties. One even has a website that lists location and date of his parties. Mass text messaging is also the technique used in recently.
As we are bracing for the Christmas and New Years season; the promotion has already started. The city will be bombarded with out of town Ethiopians who are only here to get down. I get a text message from Bruck a day prior to the party.
“tezeta something tomorrow,”
My cell starts ringing Saturday afternoon. Where are you going? I tell them at this party and the person I tell, tells another who in turn tells another. Those few important people are the ones that decide which promoter makes money tonight!
About two weeks ago I was given a CD in the club. A mix CD which I haven’t listened to yet has a label with the few party location and date. I assume the promoter personally gives these to those party animals who are apt to having an entourage of people attend they parties they go too.
Promoters also used negative techniques to increase their profits. They would have their friends spread rumors that a certain other party going on the same night as their party is cancelled. Some would tell a bunch of people that they would let them in for free and then disappear when these people are at the door. If the party is looking like its going to be packed they would brace to maximize profits. They would increase the price to get in. They would charge you extra if you are not wearing the right cloth. They won’t let certain types of people, who are not considered part of the IN crowd.
“arif crowd neberE” becomes really important. That is the reputation that is ideal for promoters.
I like a good party with the quote and quote ‘the right people’ as much as anyone but I do not like to be hustled! Just a few weeks ago a group of my friends and I went to a club called Allero, which is considered the hot in town. We got there very early, as we went after having dinner at a different location. As we were walking in I got stopped by a person I knew. And since it was early Bruck the promoter was setting up the pay booth. My friends got in by paying him directly. I didn’t know at the time but they told him that they would pay for me too and did so.
I had a drink or two prior to going there but not enough to be patronized. I got there and he tells me 20 dollars. I said hello since I semi knew him. I took the money out and said you are charging this much this early. He snatched the money out of my hands and led me in. I found my friends and it ended up being a good party till I found from my friends that they had paid for me as well. So he intentionally charged me twice. He couldn’t have been confused as I followed them right after. He figured that I wouldn’t find out so he might as well make a quick buck.
I do not mind paying for a party, regardless of how much it costs. I am one that believes that one can charge any amount as long as the product is in demand. I have pa
id up to 60$ for party in DC. At times some of the promoters let me in for free, I assume not because they like me but because they know I go with a group of people. If the party is free then it’s nice, if its 30 bucks thats fine.
I never complain about the price, I just do not want to be hustled!
Published by December 18th, 2006 in Current Issues and Social.
tezeta something or other sometime here or there …
… unfortunately, i always remind myself to remember to not forget anything, but i end up forgetting what i’m supposed to remember and not really remembering anything to forget either. it all becomes a very unmemorable exercise in forgetting and forgoing memories for the debauchery of drunken dromedaries. with or without the hump, naturally. but remembering the oasis is very unremarkable. in fact, the whole memory of these unmemorably forgettable sequence of events (sometimes with sequins) becomes a hazy blur. and women gyrate like wound-up dolls who just survived the electric chair, and men hiss and drool, and some stumble around, burping an offensive scent of injera, qimem, and corona (which incidentally smells like a wet dog). so what do i want to remember from these events? nothing. nothing much, anyway. so i can’t afford to remember. but i can afford to forget. yes, it’s all unremarkable exercise in memory. and mammaries. oh, and what mammaries they are! i still have invasive flashbacks … memories of mammaries. mammamories, even. i wonder what my mama would say. i wonder what my memories have anything to do with party promoters. i wonder if parties would go out of style if they weren’t actively promoted. you think people need to be reminded that they need to reward their week of hard work with a weekend of drunken mumbledumblesaxoplanetarygoo? i don’t know. ah, screw it. i need bread. for my bread gun … that i put in my bread holster. philately is sexy.
oh my god I am so happy that you are calling out the Allero guys. They are asswholes husslers
Ammanuel knows who I am and everytime I see him outside the club he would say hello and tell about his next party and insist I go there. He always tells me that he would put my name on the list and then when I get there with six of my girl friends I would be put ont he spot. I am not on the list. and then I would say to myself never ever to go to that party and then I would see him and he would apologize and the same shit happens again!
OH WHAT THEY DO FOR A MERE DOLLAR! CHEAP BASTARDS THEY ARE!
Nolawi,
I make sure the ‘Notify me of followup comments via email’ is NOT selected…but hey, my inbox is full of the notification….please do something.
wudnesh,
quick recommendation: you should teach your elephant how to ski. just like saint paul was the universal pen pal to corinth.
it should fix your little inbox issue. i promise.
I did fix that on friday wudenesh.. you wont have a problem from now on! except on the old article in which you were subcribed too… thanks..
Good topic,
I will be one of the countless out of towners getting down for new years, for the first time, in DC… I am so excited!! Nolawi, will you show me around even though I am not a cousin.. just kidding!
I just discovered http://www.dcabesha.com by googling some of the party promoters you mentioned on the article…great promotion technique..
Are there any other non-habesha spots -not clubs- me and my friends can chill around the DC area-good music; beautiful black people, good vibes?
I hope I see Bernos type of people for new years.. Betam Arif!!
yes I know Bruk Arefaynie, he is a limo driver by day and a hustler by night. I swear this guys promote just so they could get laid.
Geregna nachehu! they disrespect everyone just cos they happen to be the man for about four hours that saturday their pary is on
simple solution, for all the whiners: do your own party then! put the work into securing a good venue, putting down your bar deposit, getting your security, and putting the word out …
… and then y’all can be angelic and let all your friends in for free and stand in a corner and be obscure, while sucking on a pacifier that has a cute little green-yellow-red trimming and maybe a cowbell hanging off the edge.
either that … or go to the local bowling alley, get bloated on beer, and throw a big ball and knock some things down. and then get the ball back and throw it agaaaaain … and knock the same things down … and again. and again. until you get to an arbitrary score of less-than-300 … which, coincidentally, is when you’ll run out of those little boxy thingies on the score sheet thingamajig. oh no wait, they have computers now for that. which means, you should leave your pencil sharpner at home. you shouldn’t take your pencil sharpner to allero either. unless your pacifier goes dull, of course.
bottom line: if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. nobody’s putting a gun to your head to go to these parties. go elsewhere, or make your own fecal matter happen. (nolawi, is it ok to say “shit” on here? oh. oops. just did. ha!). y’all make it sound like evil vietnamese mercenaries from a b-grade 80s action movie are kidnapping you and taking you to these events.
hmph.
oh toothpick shit you too!
com’on what the big deal to share in frustrations….
the text message is for you cus you dont remember shit!…
yes, nolawi.
i’m subhuman for falling for these “hustlers.” oooh, the travesty. i think i’m way ovredue for some bourbon. it’s already 4pm on a monday, for cryin’ out loud!
To me its seems like when Ethiopians open a business their sole focus is to make quick money. Which is fine but they fail to understand how a business works. A friend of mine opened a resturant localy, the place is not that attractive and the food is blah..and service was practically non-existent. Ofcourse I went once or twice to ‘support’ but I am not a regular. Customer service, ambience etc tend to be igonored by the Ethiopian business owners. The most successful ethio rest I patronize incorporate these. There is at least an hour wait time on Saturday nights. There at least 20 other Ethiopian restaurants in the area but people drive from an hour away to come to this place. In addtion, their customers are not just Abeshas, everyone enjoyes going there. The food is great, the place is clean and ambience is great.
Very few tend to understand that for us to want spend our money we need to get something of value in return. Don’t expect me to patronize your place just b/c we are friends. (At least don’t count on it)
florenuevaye.. benatish tell me where this spot is?
Nol,
It is Zeni’s Restaurant in San Jose.
Worth a check out if you are ever in the bay area.
FlorNueva – Is it Mesob – LA??
Here we go….
Habesha Party Promoters Must Face the Facts!!!
I interviewed the Habesha Party Minister in Washington D.C. Ato Mamo Qilo! says a new study confirms that Habesha party promoters are a gateway to illicit alcohol, a serious road safety risk and are addictive, for many Habesha people.
The Georgetown University in Washington, DC. study, ‘The connection of Black Lable & Habesha party’s in D.C. area’, states that party goers are much more likely to be using Black Lable than the general population.
Mr Mamo Qilo said one in seven of those surveyed who had a history of party fever and legal alcohol use admitted they moved onto using mainly from Graygoose and Toniq to Black Lable after starting out with Coca-Cola.
“This proves that Habesha party promoters are starting many young people on a dangerous path to harder alcohol use, and the manufacturers and promoters of these alcohol can no longer deny this fact,” Mr Qilo said.
The survey questioned 2,010 people aged 21 – 45 years old, including 249 from Virginia area and surrounding areas. It is the first of four studies commissioned by the Ministry of Health into Black Lable. The Expert Advisory Committee on Alcohol & Drugs will consider the research at its next meeting in July 2007.
The study also found that one in six Black Lable users had driven oral sex to thier lovers under the influenc. Mr Qilo says this is particularly disturbing given recent reports of a young man/women having unprotected sex after taking 2-4 drinks.
“Most concerning is the fact that Habesha people are becoming dependent on Black Lable. The survey found that one in 45 users were classified as dependant after testing,” Mr Qilo said.
Habesha Promoters claims that Black Lable and other alcohol served are safe if people use them properly. Well, one in five Habesha in this sample have tried Black Lable, and a large number of these people had no idea about the number of drinks it is supposedly ‘safe’ to take in a single night, or what other substances should not be taken with Black Lable.
M&W
i hope the handling is better on a ’99 Oral Sex than a Camry. cuz it’d take a lot for habesha people to give up their camrys and accords for … well … the model you suggested they drive after drinking.
toothpick – your comments are amusing…what is the name of the planet you live on? Out of curiosity, I may want to visit someday:)
ops i don’t know how my question posted after FlorNueva answer… anyways i agree with u zeni is the Best!!!
allero is for sagging titties and old-beer-bellied men who pry on 20 something girls. tsk tsk tsk. you know what i think? bruk is atcherbari and so is Aman. but they do make a pretty penny by the end of night…personally, allero is not my cup of tea. i’d rather kick it with teferi and markos, at least there is some sort of consistency with them.
Thursday Dec. 21st @ BarNun
Friday Dec. 22nd @ Agua Ardiente
Saturday Dec. 23rd @ Heritage Lounge
Sunday Dec. 24th @ Cloud Lounge
Monday Dec. 25th @ K-Street Lounge
Thursday Dec. 28th @ BarNun Friday
Dec. 29th @ Agua Ardiente Saturday
Dec. 30th @ Heritage Lounge Sunday
Dec. 31st @ Union Station (5 Star Restaurant) Union Station – Ark Restaurants (Doors open @ 9:pm) Danny, Dee, Sammy, Markos & Teferi Wishing you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year Music by: DJ Banti & Mamush
Monday Jan. 1st @ Cloud Lounge
metad must be your lucky year cuz your boys.. have booked eleven nights striaght! my god shameless … throw a bone throw a bone! to the competition!
That’s an interestin’ read. Good observation, Nolawi.
Yoda,
if u find out the name of the planet where Toothpick lives , pleassssee let me know, I’ll join you on the visit.
Toothpick,
Come again? What the … was that? I think I need to go back to grammar school….I ain’t have the faintest idea what this means..seriously! u r a heck of a fella….and quite entertaining!
Nolawi
The best restaurant I have been to is Mesob,in NJ. I don’t think I’ve seen abesha restaurant as classy and clean…not to mention the beautiful interior design and great service. Even the injera comes with tongs to pick it up with. If you have not tried Shrimp tibs and Mushroom Tibs..well, you got to try it! I didn’t know it could taste that good. The traditional Doro Wat etc is very good too. Their price is high (you’d probably eat two kitfo in DC for the price of one) ..but it is worth every penny. It is the kind of restaurant you’ll feel good about taking ppl to. Check it out Mesobrestaurant.com Incidentally, it may also be the only abesha restaurant with male servers..cute ones:)
Good one people. But I can’t hate on the promoters (given I used to be one). Did any of you managed to go to one of Hollywood parties last summer? Let’s see, I threw a party for the Ethiopians, but the place got crowded and sold out tickets by 10 pm. My Ethiopian people slowly started showing up at around 1 AM, but it was too late as the Californian actor wanna bees had already crowded the place inside partying their hearts out.
Anyway, Nolawi, you said it just right. I know a lot of promoters that have a lot of energy for marketing and some are successful. But the business is very tricky. Not everything is what it seems. A good promoter is one that sticks to his/her words. These days, everybody is a promoter. But most of them have no idea that it takes a special skill. The people that promoted Teddy for the first few shows are a good examples of promoters going bad. And the artists themselves are too greedy and don’t select the right promoters to promote them. I have given up complaining about a party. Everytime I go, I just try to party my ass out under the given conditions. The other choice I have is not to go at all. If you feel like you’ve been given a hard time at the door, call the authorities. I have no compromise when it comes to good business conduct. You should not be cheated, its illegal so treat it as such. I am crazy anyway. I put one restaurant owner on his knees one time when he tries to hustle me. And I don’t regret any of it.
By the way Nolawi, I heard Teddy will be in DC for new year’s eve. I will be there to party. Wanna meet up? (I am not kidding).
Toothpick, you’ve done it again my brother. Why do I always find myself scratching my head everytime I read your comment? Last time it was the point…points…point… thing that got me wondering around for days. Whatever planet you’re from, show me the path. If you reside in DC, we got to meet up for new years eve. Denverites for Chirstmass, DCians for New years eve. ain’t i nice, just partying with my people.
Hey may I translate….to Chelema and Wudenesh…what do the two sentences “you should teach your elephant how to ski.” and ” just like saint paul was the universal pen pal to corinth” have in common…impossibility…does it now answer your Q
Hey Toothpick, hats off to the constant entertainment, confusion and some more entertainment….
Rahwina – I beg to differ. Nothing is impossible especially on toothpick’s planet, where it is even possible to teach an elephant to ski. And as far as Wudinesh’s problem, it looks like Nolawi has taken care of. Now, I don’t know about St. Paul being the universal pen pal to Corinth??!! Well, what the heck, why not?
In the words of Eddie Izzard: “If you’ve never seen an elephant ski, you’ve never been on acid.”
[quote comment="9992"]By the way Nolawi, I heard Teddy will be in DC for new year’s eve. I will be there to party. Wanna meet up? (I am not kidding).[/quote]
I can’t meet up on new years eve… but i could on the 29th or the 2nd… but i will probably see you in town… if you see me say hello… i dont know what you look like.. anyways you know my email!
i am not going to a teddy afro show for sure… too efn busy…
Yonas
Thank you…you said it!
finally, someone picked up the eddie izzard reference. well done, hairy primate. well done!
so … who’s in the dc area for new year’s again?
I completely understand about these compliments on dc promoters. First foremost let me apologize on behalf of all promoters including me. Let me tell u litlle bit about myself. I grew up in dc and went to a private school with 500 hundred habesha. Yes,believe or not.
By the time i was seventeen I had promoted Neway,Aster and even had my own reggae night.That was back in 1997 when chelsea’s,bravo bravo was hot. Now I have come back to give my people the party they are looking for. I 100% agree what the comment said about promoters these days are a bunch of hustlers. I believe a promoters job is to bring people together and show them a great time. U do that by customer service and not over pricing.
So,I am launching addis production this christmas by doing a Black and White Christmas Jump-off on December 23rd at duke city club. I have invited all of my habesha friends that I went to school and then some. I have over 1000 friends in facebook,myspace,hi5 that is been my main marketing. What u can expect from Addis Production once a month!
Addis Production will not over charge u.
Addis Production will not cheat you.
Addis Production will show u a great time.
I am also launching a website just like myspace.
Where our customers can download all the pictures from our parties and once u are member u can leave comments about the party and even give a suggestions. That way we can serve u better. If u have any questions please feel free to email me at addisproduction@yahoo.com
nice plug add pro…
yeferedebet duke city… I am not going to come.. ye chuche mesebesebia new yemihonew since you are marketing through myspace….
and about the myspace for addis pro thing good luck with that… I hate to be negative but there are so many of those nowadays for abesha’s… I suggest you get creative… and do something more unique than a regular phpfox social networking site… anyways good luck!
Nolawi – I think you’re on point..
I also have some bones to pick with Habesha restaurants at least around here in Denver… If you leave your credit card at the bar with a tab open, you will end up getting a bill bigger than your social security number…… If they think you’re a little bit tipsy, they’re gonna try to milk you for as much as they can….. Especially if you go with a crowed of people, it’s hard to tell who ordered what so it’s easier for the restaurant to squeeze in some extra drinks on the tab. I had one experience once, when all of us were drinking Hennessey. But at the end of the night, the tab included all the Hennessey’s we drunk plus 4 black label and 3 shots of tequila that no one from the group ordered.
The good thing is that all we ordered was Hennessey so it was easy to point out the unordered drinks that somehow found their way to our tab – but if we were all drinking different things – we could have easily over looked it and end up paying for it. The bar owner recalled the tab and apologized for “the mistake.” But I don’t know how these “mistakes” could happen every damn time you leave a tab open. It sucks when they try to play people like that.. I ain’t gonna name out any restaurants, but I’ve learned my lesson that its better to pay as you go.
Wondeneh Nolawi wonde, tell it like it is homie, people like you who say whats on their mind need a blow horn so that they could make a difference, customer service in the ethiopian community is not available. there is no amharic word for CS.
I too live in DC and have on occassion gone to Allero and Teferi’s club. I semi know them so I do not mind the extreme prices they charge on any given sunday.
One day I picked up a friend who had never been to DC and after the airport we decided to go to the club. By the time we got there the club was packed and they were not letting people in. So we did what we could and got Amanuels attention and my freind was wearing shorts but was bent on seeing a DC club and I begged him since I saw he was letting a couple of girls that he seemed to know got in with out paying.
He said that he would charge us 40$ each to get in. and the club was almost over and right after we paid him he said he couldn’t let my freind in because he was wearing shorts. And then I asked him to give the money back and then he said he would let us in if he paid him another 20$ for wearing the shorts… we ended up paying a hundred dollars to get in at 1:15 pm.
I didn’t regret it at the time since my friend got to meet freinds from ager bet but now that I think about it. It was very lame for him to hassle us like that. This was 4 months ago and I have vowed not to ever go to that place again.
The bad part is that these same people are going to be running all the clubs for the next five years and there is nothing a competing promoters can do about it because they play their dirty games to kill the competition.
THere are new up and coming Promoters who throw parties at Penang on Fridays….They don’t try to hussel you at all. I always have fun when I go there. The muic and CS is excellent. Nobody tries to hussel you there…..
Check it out….
The amharic word for customer service is mestengdo ??????
Speaking of customer service, our language isn’t polite and as a culture are not very polite. I hadn’t noticed how bad we actually were until I got accustomed to saying “excuse me” and “please” and tried to do the same in Amharic…………..believe me, it ain’t easy. Anyhow, I find it utterly embracing how partial we are to non-habashas. I have on several occasions taken my white friends to eat injera and had gotten great service from the same waitress who took 20 minutes to drop off my drink the prior week. In fact, I am finding out that it is not ignorance of what proper service etiquette is but rather lack of interest. Also, looking at it from their point of view, I totally understand why they would be hesitant to give great service to the ass who leaves me a 10% tip!!!! Oh and for those interested, 20% is good tip………..I am amazed to know how few people know this. I guess this too is a cultural difference that has to be remedied.
Nolawi, I think I know you. I see you are doing big things. I'm very proud of you. I have some funny memories of you. Lets keep in touch.
Nolawi, why did you edit my blog? I just wanted to make sure I was talking to the right person. You could email me with the info. Thank you.
it was the right person.. I just didnt want personal info like that.. I sent you an email Thanks
..add watered down cocktail drinks to the list. It is good to see that the faces of the customers are changing for the restaurants which may improve the customer service. I experience the overcharging in American establishments over & over again that I don’t think it is just an abesha tenkol. Abesha businesses expect more from our ‘yilugnta’ to get away with overcharging while the non-abesha may be thinking ‘where did she get the money.. stole it or support from the govt, wouldn’t notice and care if I overcharge’
curiousety…is there an age…when someone stops the crazy party hopping and drinkink alchole for fun and turn into something else…i really worry about the youner ones who dring Black Label as hobby….in a way it is really sad…no wonder AID’s is rising among ethio ppl in DC area….fully loaded w/alchole…
how many Ethiopians are in DC to have those many parties, and get hussled just curious.
Cheers,
As usual you’re keeping it real! I call it the black on black crime! Cheating your own people, that’s a shame. Don’t do Ethio parties much but they are no different from AA events
Most Ethio businesses fail because they haven’t grasped the concept of “the customer is always right” this doesn’t mean they literally have to bend over backwards to customize their business to fit every customers needs. It just means at least attempt it or pretend to if not give a good enough reason so that it appears like it. Every customer wants to think they are the reason the business is opened that day. I do believe some Ethiopian customers are delusional and would like to fantasize they are the reason the business is still running. Consistency is so important and it’s not getting the new customer but retaining the old they should focus on. Word of mouth will get them the new ones. Retention requires more planning then anything else.
There is nothing in life I hate more than a person who says “I don’t know.” If I ask a question and they really don’t know they should reply with “I’ll check on it for you” or “I’ll see what we can do for you” I mean I don’t care who, where, when or what the situation is please don’t say “I don’t know” How many times have I gone into an Ethio business and inquired about something only to receive the reply “enenja” or “I don’t know” then you shouldn’t be working there. If I said that at work it’s time for me to move the hell on.
FlorNueva,
Zeni’s, there is no place like it not even in DC! I also drive about an hour or more (in traffic) to eat there and the waiting is crazy but worth every agonizing minute. Décor/ambience A+, Food A+, Service A+ overall rating A++. All we need is a Dama near by then who needs DC? I know there is Bishan’s and the one in Santana Row but they’re not Ethiopian owned, we need a nice Ethiopian owned pastry shop in the Bay Area. Anyone interested in opening one I promise I’ll be your regular customer but the quality must be equal to or better then Dama’s.
Dama is really really popular and its been going about 6 yrs now… its the happening place for northern VA DCian… Out of towners go there for the kitfo… with qoncho…
If you come to DC you have to got to dama.. atleast once!… that is if you like kitfo the gurage way with special Iayb and QoCho!
Nolawi,I guess u don’t get it. My website is not going to be just a reguler php website. My website is strictley our for those that come to my parties.
Once u are a member u will get discount and other membership perks. I have over 1000 sexy habesha females waiting for this website to launch.
This is a new way of marketing to your customers. By building my own community I can serve my customes better.
That is called being a smart PR person.
Toothpick
nothing is the same without you around
oooooh la la! 100 sexy abesha females? no way, dude! like, they’re not 99, right? or like 102? exactly 100? sexy too? are you sure, buddy?
oh, and by the way, it’s not called “being a smart PR person” … it’s actually “being a mysoginist capitalist vulture” … but i understand it’s sort of a “dead” vs. “passed on” typa deal.
*shrug*
Toothpick,
looks like u have a small group appreciating your witty funniness…
what’s up with your blog site? I was trying to visit it – and it kept giving me a blank page. is the link not working or smth?
celebrate,
Co-signing on Bijan and the Santana Row pastry shop as being one of the best. And also Dianda’s in San Mateo has excellent pastries… just the aroma is reminiscent of Enrico in Addis. Funny some of my friends were thinking of opening a bakery next to zeni’s but it never materialezed.
I agree w.you on customer retention. I remeber when Zeni’s celebrated their 1 yr anverssary they gave away Keychains as a “thank you” for their customers. It’s gimmicky but it clearly shows that they know what they are doing.
Now, if they can only add cute male servers…it would be the complete package…:-)!
Celebrate and FlorNueva if u guys never tried Stella cake in North beach, SF u should!!! Even though I think Dianda’s is good I think Stella is way better uffa beka i’m gonna have to go get some malet new!
AddisPro… I am no expert but I have some experience.. ena I am not trying to be negative to your ventures for the sake of being negative…
The way you intially described your venture ie like the below
And I am like that is where you are going wrong… Many Ethiopians are on facebook and Myspace.. both worth or recently sold for billion plus each…
now the content management system used for myspace is opensource.. phpfox… or whatever it is called… I know of so far that eight people started an abesha site just like myspace… all failures except 3 and from those one bought the other and now there are two.. habeshahookup is there doing good.. and the other is doing horribly from what I saw…
the userbase for ethiopians is small.. thus if you are going to compete in that market … then you would have to be more orginal.. malete nuew.. just an advice not negativity…Good luck!
Nolawi
where is ‘the place to be’ in DC for New Year’s Eve?
Wude, there is one party to be a sure hit the ark restuarant in union station
brought to you by teferi and the crew!
are you going to be in town?
speaking I just read the title of of blog and was like grrrrr
ja rule to rap…what the heck it to rap… so now rap is a noun an adjective and a verb!
yea, coming over with my cousins. Now I’ll insist my friends go there too.
tnx for the info.
Wudisha… you better hook up with DawitK while you are in DC. Since brother man wants to be all mysteries and all; I say hook up with him and then come on back to tell us all about it, its better to get the info on him early on before I invest to much time on him… LOL – j/k… seriously, absolutely NO touching nonetheless.
Shantiye..hehehe…inem arada, anchim arada, (ow, my! I was just saying it but it actually fits the theme…because it ends with…min yaTalanal besew berenda..?right?) min yaTalanal besew sew. DavidK , I have a feeling, is not single…that’s one reason behind the ‘mystery’. But then again, i don’t really see the probs….I ain’t single either..:) I promise you one thing> I’ll come back with a full and clear description of DavidK…what he wore, how he looked, who he was with (ehem, ehem,) the way he looked at the girl (if there was one)…hey, shanti, u can count on me to be a paparazzo for the night….except of course, no picture for sale. That’s of course hoping our Nolawi doesn’t say who’s who and blow our cover.
Seriously, Nol, I hope you won’t sell us out…and start pointing at ppl saying that one is Chelema, that one is Wudnesh etc….
Nolawi, which hotel ballroom is Teddy performing on Friday night? I need to get a room. If you have info, please pass it on. thanks
Chelema, now I’m confused. You are in Denver right now, will be in DC on Friday…and in Denver again for abesha Genna? hmm. Anyways, will c u at the party in DC….maybe, instead of Bernos-Denver…we’ll have Bernos travellers:)
wudisha, let me complicate it even more. I am not in Denver anymore. I am in Toronto, back to Chicago Tomorrow(Thursday, or is it today?) Then off to DC Friday and back to Chicago on Monday…then off to Denver on the following Friday and back to Toronto on the following Monday and then off to Geneva the following Saturday! how is that? you still with me?
err..where r u today? ..what, what? and tomorrow….Koy, Koy…indegenna isti digemilign? ifoyyyy, just take me in one of your luggage. u don’t even have to say a word…I’ll wait until after abesha genna for Sara’s story.
Wudua, I would, but right now, I am getting a lot of hostility from ethio.com chat room. come on in with a rescue mission please.
that was quite a rescue!
Pretty much everyone and everyplace around the globe recognizes the New Year with some type of celebration. Because of the scale of the night, one eternal question burns: Where is the BEST place to spend this momentous occasion?
One tip: If this is the only night of the year you go out, then the place to be @ in my opinion is; American Restaurant – Union Station
Everything about this place is nice…
ha ha dawitk can we get the bernos crew on the list…. my name is Nolawi Petros! tell me if they get me on the list I will tell all my peeps to go there… benateh!
if there is VIP blah blah i would like that too!
Dawitye
what about me as a VIP? a sis from out of state? nooo..no date…just a sis? have I made it on the list?
come on over to LOVE, THE CLUB(formerly Dream) on Saturday night for VIP exclussive fashion show. That’s where I’ll be @ on Sat night. Call the club if you need VIP admission.
David…what happened to sweet ‘I’ll try…can’t promise’? myGod!(be-maaganen
)
thanks Chelema!…is there anyway u can have access to the same for the Sunday event?
o my GOD, i seen DJ Fitsum before. He is really cool and knows how to rock a party. I usually don’t go to an habesha events, but every single time i went to where his DJ-ing at, i have a really good time. but i hate the fact that i have to stand out side in line just to go in. Beside that, I love going to his parties. I even went to LA this past new years eve where he was DJ-ing at and i had a fantastic time. I just wished i was in his VIP list.
P.S, Ladies, he is really cute too but i think his taken. .
Another classy Ethio\Italian\American restaurant is Sheba Piano Lounge in SF. Love that place! Great place for a date. You get to listen to live Piano music while enjoying wonderful Ethiopian or Italina food!! The spices in the Ethiopian food are very unique. Loved it! If you guys are ever in the bay, check it out. Love Zeni’s too for authentic Ethiopian food.
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