AKRON, Ohio — Ohio’s immigrant population is growing, and one Northeast Ohio businesswoman is connecting her community with her culture.
Nardos Street is an immigrant from Ethiopia living in Akron. She came to the U.S. in 2004, and she is now the owner of Bereka Coffee and Kitchen. She said she started the business after taking her husband on his first trip to Ethiopia.
“My husband was sharing his experience in Ethiopia, and he wanted to bring the culture back to our community,” Street said.
Street also shares her Ethiopian traditions by hosting coffee ceremonies for her clients and close friends in Akron. She allows her guests to smell the freshly roasted coffee beans as well.
“Right now, I’m just letting my customers and my guests get the aroma, the smell, and that’s just to awaken their senses,” she said.
Street said coffee ceremonies in Ethiopia celebrate community, connection and hospitality. She added that three rounds of coffee are prepared and each round carries a different meaning.
“I’m preparing for the second round,” Street said. “It’s called Tona.”
Street said she was homesick when she first moved to the United States but said roasting coffee for her loved ones reminds her of home.
“Part of my home chore was to brew coffee as early as 10, 11 years old,” Street said.
She now sells her products and performs some coffee ceremonies at NoHi Pop-Up, a rotating restaurant, in Akron.
“They have been very supportive, and we really are very grateful for that opportunity to work with them,” she said.
Street said her business provides a way for her to connect with her Ethiopian roots in Ohio.
If you’re interested in attending Street’s coffee ceremony, please visit her website.
