After about seven years away, a beloved restaurant has reopened in downtown Fayetteville.
In late January, Taste of West Africa began, once again, serving food from owner Isabella Effon’s native Ghana.
The restaurant first opened in 2012 at 107 Person St., and closed about five years later as the popular eatery outgrew the 2,500-square-foot space, Effon said Wednesday. Agora Mediterranean Restaurant opened at that spot shortly after.
Effon said she began leasing the building at 116 Person St. in 2017, and soon after moving in, turned part of the property into event venue Volta Space, which accommodates up to 250 people. County records show that the building is about 18,500 square feet.
In the last few years, Effon said, she has been working to turn the other part of the building into the restaurant and bar of her dreams.
About two weeks ago, she began welcoming patrons for the eatery’s soft opening.
Now, the air is filled with the sounds of dance hall music and the smells of spices and chiles. Customers cozy up to the counter, where they can watch their meal come together in the open kitchen. The space is huge — Effon said it can comfortably seat about 280 people — but has a warm, inviting atmosphere.