Woinee Mariam was sad but philosophical in explaining that she and her husband, Solomon Hailu, had decided to close the South Congress Avenue location of their restaurant, Taste of Ethiopia.
"Sometimes you have to let go to find a better one," Mariam said of their decision to close the restaurant they have operated since 2017.
Rising costs of groceries and services, along with the higher rent that would accompany a new lease, forced the hand of the couple who moved to Central Texas about 20 years ago. The South Austin location will close at the end of September, though the Pflugerville location remains open and doing well.
"It's so hard. Everything is hard right now," Mariam said of the costs of doing business, adding that she had resisted raising her menu prices over the last three years.
The Ethiopian couple opened their first restaurant in Pflugerville in 2008, having moved to Cedar Park from the Washington D.C. area, where Mariam worked in restaurants for 17 years.
The success of the Pflugerville restaurant, which serves traditional Ethiopian dishes like beef tibs, doro wot, collard greens, lentils, cabbage and potatoes on a platter lined with injera bread, inspired the couple to expand their brand of warm hospitality to South Austin.
"This is one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I get to meet people from all walks of life," Mariam told the American-Statesman in 2009. "There is nothing more satisfying than to see people come and dine and leave satisfied. I enjoy serving the first-timers who never had Ethiopian food. I see the skepticism in their eyes and hear it in their tone of voice. Then, I comfort them and explain the traditions and the food."
While the couple will place their focus squarely on the original location, Mariam said they plan to eventually find another location in Austin.
Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.
This article originally published at Taste of Ethiopia closing South Austin location, but owners hope to return.