More Than a Meal: How a Café Brings Africa to the US
From the outside, Café Lalibela looks like just another restaurant in Tempe, one of Arizona’s busy cities. Step inside, though, and the experience shifts.
This is bigger than food. It feels like Africa offered up in the United States, not as a souvenir, but as a living story told through music, design, and tradition.
Every detail inside seems intentional. The music sets a rhythm, the displays draw your eyes, and the menu speaks the language of Ethiopia. For those who have been to Africa, it can feel like a brief escape back to something familiar. For those who have never been, it can be a beautiful signpost, pointing toward a continent often misunderstood and too easily reduced to stereotypes.
Lalibera is a family-owned business founded by Ethiopian migrants. For 30 years, it has maintained its presence, serving authentic Ethiopian cuisine while also offering customers a broader sense of Africa through its food. “My mother established the business not only to earn an income but also to promote African identity”, states the owner, Anibal Abayneh, who sees Lalibela as a connector between Africa and the US.
“In fact, my mother, aged 71, is still actively involved in the business. She spends most of her time in the kitchen preparing food,” Anibal adds.
For Anibal, sharing that story is not a marketing strategy. It is part of the restaurant’s tradition. He says it is also a way of changing the narrative about the continent, which has often been shaped by harsh and narrow portrayals in Western media. “What I like about this place is that every day I am telling my story when someone comes here. They ask about the food, the music and everything you see here”.
From the press coverage highlighted on their website, Café Lalibela positions itself as more than a dining spot. It has grown into a cultural space where unity in diversity is celebrated. Over the years, the restaurant has organised cultural festivals where different African nationals have put their traditions on display, not only for outsiders to learn, but also as a way for Africans in the United States to connect and strengthen their community.
It is also a meeting place. Academics, business leaders, and senior public officers, including mayors and senators, gather here. While some might assume the restaurant would mainly serve Africans looking for a taste of home, Anibal says many of their customers are from the United States.
One of those customers is State Senator Lauren Kuby, who described Lalibela as “an amazing business with people at heart”.
While she praises the vegan menu, the Senator also applauds the restaurant’s support for the community during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially when “they gave out free food packs” to the needy. Rose Bartz, another customer we met at the restaurant, said the café offers a unique experience.
“I have been to an Ethiopian restaurant in Washington DC and Seattle – I find it cool here as well. The place is lovely, so is the food; fresh and tasty,” says Batz, who was visiting for a second time.
Surviving for 30 years in the restaurant business speaks to resilience, but also to vision. Anibal credits their longevity to staying true to the philosophy behind the business: giving customers value for money through service, while offering something many restaurants cannot, a chance to feel Ethiopia, and a wider Africa, within the United States.
The business has also expanded. In partnership with Whole Foods Market and Natural Grocers, Lalibela’s flavours are now available not only in Arizona but also in California and Nevada.
With that growth, the story Lalibela tells is reaching further. One meal at a time, the restaurant continues to sell more than food. It offers connection, culture, and a narrative that invites people to see Africa differently.