CLEVELAND — A northeast Ohio restaurant owner is plating food and preserving his culture.


What You Need To Know

  • Jamal Musa is the co-owner of Habesha Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant

  • He and his business partners came to the United States as refugees

  • Musa said Ethiopian food is meant to be shared by many from one plate and eaten with your hands

Jamal Musa is the co-owner of Habesha Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant in Cleveland. 

Musa and his business partners came to America as refugees. Now, he said they’re serving up their cuisine as a way for others to sample their culture.

“We are from Ethiopia and Eritrea,” Musa said.

Musa said a war was going on when he and his family escaped Ethiopia 20 years ago. He said his family was separated. 

“Our property, everything we own, we left behind and tried to be safe somewhere,” Musa said.

Musa said they traveled through Sudan and Saudi Arabia on their journey to find a new home.

“We were looking for a place to live, so we were happy that America was accepting people who were in trouble,” he said.

He said that his restaurant helps him preserve his roots. 

“Anywhere we go,” Musa said. “We cannot forget for who we are and where we came from.”

Musa added that Ethiopian food is meant to be eaten with your hands with several people sharing one plate to connect.