Empress Taytu Restaurant Credit: David Sharkey
In January, we reported the sad news that Empress Taytu — Cleveland’s first and longest-running Ethiopian restaurant — was closing its doors after 31 years in business. Owners Carl and Senait Robson, who gave many local diners their first taste of Ethiopian food, decided to put the business and building up for sale.

But earlier this week, the Robsons quietly reopened the restaurant (6125 St. Clair Ave., 216-391-9400), with plans to carry on as long as they can.

“We closed the restaurant because we couldn’t find waitstaff,” Carl explains. “We had no problem with our Ethiopian cooks.”

Robson states that when people learned of the impending closure in January, the restaurant was busier than it had been in years.

“The place was just mobbed,” he says. “I guess people wanted to come in to get their last meal before we closed.”

Dr. Robson opened his medical practice in St. Clair Superior specifically to serve that underserved community. Years later, he and his Ethiopian-born wife opened Empress Taytu because they “wanted to spread Ethiopian culture.” It might not have been the most fashionable address for a restaurant, but they managed to make it work for three decades.

“The people who have found us over the years really like us,” he says.

The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday evenings.

Coming soon: Cleveland Scene Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting Cleveland stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing. Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

This article appears in Apr 19 – May 3, 2023.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.