ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Two new immigrant-owned restaurants have opened in Rochester as established businesses report significant difficulties and declining sales.
Restaurant owners across Rochester have reported difficulties staying open in recent weeks, with some closing for days, and one owner saying sales dropped nearly 50 percent.
Ethiopian restaurant opens
Enat Ethiopian Kitchen opened about a month ago as ICE operations increased across Minnesota. Assistant manager Ephrata Geda said all employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S., but believes fear tied to immigration enforcement may be keeping customers away.
“Things kind of escalated pretty quickly and we noticed that it was affecting us and affecting our customers,” she said. “[Our signs] saying Ethiopian right on the front of our restaurant is something that can draw attention to us right away.”
Geda stated the owners are immigrants from Ethiopia. Despite the challenges, she and the owners say they remain hopeful about the future.
“We’re hoping maybe in the future that we can expand to other locations, but right now it’s just this one,” Geda said.
Geda stated the name ‘Enat’ stands for ‘mother,’ in line with the homey and ethnic atmosphere the owners hoped to create.
The restaurant serves platter-style meals, hoping to introduce Ethiopian cuisine and culture in Rochester.
New stir fry restaurant
Owners 18-year-old Samir Secic and his father Semir Secic opened their third Stir Fry Express restaurant on Tuesday. The restaurant offers self-serve Asian cuisine, where customers fill their plates and pay a set price per ounce.
“Today is the official grand opening. From 11 to 2, we’re going to be giving away free food, and then we’re open 11 to 8 every single day of the week,” Samir Secic said.
“We’re originally from Bosnia. My dad is from Srebrenica, and we fled for the war. I was born here, but my dad was born in Bosnia,” he said.
Before opening, Secic said they were aware of the challenges other restaurants have been facing, but remained confident in their approach, with two other successful locations in Duluth and Sioux Falls.
“Of course, we thought about that a lot, but we know that our business has been proven to work really well,” he said.
Secic also confirmed all his employees are legally allowed to work and said immigrant-owned restaurants play an important role in the community.
“I feel like, the more people get a chance to open their own restaurant, show other people, their culture, everything like that, the better it is,” he said.
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Dining and Cooking