This isn’t the type of tour Fikremariam Worku wanted to give, showing us the charred rubble, the ash, and water damage throughout his restaurant – the restaurant he dreamed of opening for most of his adult life.
“People started loving it. We were hoping to be the best vegetarian and Ethiopian restaurant in Baltimore,” he told WMAR-2 News’ Elizabeth Worthington inside what used to be the dining area.
Jano Ethiopian Restaurant and Lounge on Eutaw Street was one of several buildings impacted by a fire that brought in hundreds of firefighters from five different counties on September 22nd.
“You feel helpless. You feel destroyed,” Worku said as he recalled watching his restaurant burn that morning.
For the last decade, Worku and his wife have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into their dream. He felt like people in the city had just started noticing the restaurant, and their customer base was finally growing.
“People love our food. They were tipping double. They were saying we don’t know why you guys are not known,” he told WMAR-2 News. “And we were thinking – next year is gonna be a great year.”