BaBi's - Fine Food
Setting out on a new venture is not for the faint hearted, and in a sector littered with eateries how can you stand out in the crowd? I went to BaBi’s Bistro to find out.
Attention to detail is evident at BaBi’s
I sat down to talk to the owner of BaBi’s Bistro Dawit, (aka D, breakfast host at Afro FM). Just a stone’s throw away from the South African Embassy and near the International Community School of Addis Ababa, it’s his first real big venture and I asked why the food industry? “I noticed in this area there were no places where I’d like to chill out and felt at home. I wanted to create a great place to eat, drink and hang out with friends or family. We’ve been opened for almost a month and the response from locals has been exceptional. We've seen people returning and posting online so it’s growing by word of mouth”.
Seating arranged the customers…
The food menu unlike many places is edited so you can be assured that the food not only taste the same each time you visit, but the preparation is perfected. Along with original American cheddar cheese on burgers and fries the chicken is marinated over a few days. While I took a bite on my bbq wings I asked Dawit what people could expect when they visit. “We open from 9am and closing is flexible. Food is varied from chicken - pasta. We’ll be having special events, poetry, acoustic night & serving cocktails. Once things have settled down I’m also exploring the possibility of launching a foundation for students”.
a warm welcome awaits you
Before heading home I caught up with Ephrem the restaurant consultant at BaBi’s. He was acting head chef for night. This is a guy who started at the bottom in the USA washing dishing to opening his own restaurants.
Like Dawit he was pleased with the outcome so far… “right now we are almost at the end of training all the kitchen staff” Ephrem said. “We strive for consistency”. When I asked him what gave him pleasure he said.. ”Seeing people climbing the ladder and seeing people coming back. If people come back it means we are doing something right”.
BaBis Bistro - Bisrate Gebrail, Opposite Azmera Shiro