Gursha Ethiopian Catering

Sara Gebre was born and raised in add where in Ethiopia, where she learned to cook
traditional Ethiopian cuisine from her mother and grandmother. Sara from a young age
was enthralled with the aromas and flavors that came out of her family’s kitchen. One of
her favorite aromas was the smell of fresh Ethiopian coffee emanating from the Jebena
(a traditional Ethiopian coffee pot) that her mother kept on the stove. In Ethiopia, coffee
is not just a beverage, it is a social ritual. Coffee ceremonies are a way for people to
come together and connect with each other.

Sara grew up performing coffee ceremonies several times per week as these
ceremonies strengthen community ties and keep social circles tight. It’s customary to
perform coffee ceremonies to welcome guests and is the most important part of
hospitality in Ethiopia. Even when Sara left her homeland, she always knew that she
wanted to share her love of both food and coffee with others in her new community and
keep her family of x number of boys connected to their culture as well.

When Sara moved to the United States, she deeply missed the coffee culture of her
homeland. She began teaching about Ethiopian coffee culture and conducting coffee
ceremonies at people’s homes, mostly the parents of her sons’ classmates at their new
schools in Denver. Jebena Coffee, her first business was born.

Sara’s coffee ceremonies provide a unique way for people to learn about Ethiopian
culture and to experience the taste of Ethiopia. Sara begins her coffee ceremonies by
roasting the coffee beans over an open flame. The aroma of the roasting beans fills the
air and entices the participants to engage further into the comfort of coffee. She serves
up the earthy roasted coffee and takes time to answer questions and shares stories of
Ethiopia. Participants get to slow down, enjoy the company of others, and get a taste of
a new culture.

Jebena Coffee started to grow. Sharing an authentic coffee ceremony is a big
commitment of time and the process takes hours. Though teaching coffee culture
enabled Sara to share the love of her culture, it was difficult to grow the business and
make a livable wage on coffee ceremonies alone. It was time to bring a real taste of
Ethiopia to her growing client base. Sara got to work building her menu and perfecting
her recipes and began catering small events with a limited, yet delicious selection of
Ethiopian delicacies such as:

• Misir Wot, a dish made of red lentils cooked with berbere spice
• Yeater Alicha Wot, a dish made of yellow split peas
• Azifa, cold lentil salad made with onions and spices
• Doro Wot, slow cooked chicken with berbere and Ethiopian spices
• Ground Beef Curry- beef braised with turmeric and Ethiopian spices
• A variety of other Ethiopian inspired vegetarian dishes
  

Sara became known for her reasonably priced, healthy, and delicious food as well as
her warm hospitality. Gursha Ethiopian Catering continues to grow. With each event
Sara caters, she gains new customers who get a chance to sample and rave about her
well-prepared Ethiopian fare to others.

Sara’s story is a testament to the power of passion and hard work. She started her
business with the simple idea of sharing her culture with others and she has grown it
into a successful and growing business.

Sara Gebre is a great food entrepreneur who began her journey with Kitchen Network
and continues to benefit from the resources available to her at our facility. She works
hard to build her business and can access professional food business mentors who can
connect her to experts and open different sales channels for her business. Kitchen
Network is proud to have Sara as a member of our community and is excited to support
her in growing her catering business and supporting her dreams of owning a food
service establishment one day.