M inority & Small Business Week
PageA8
September 23, 2009
BUSINESS
State Farm*
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Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office. Bloomington. Illinois 61710
Michael E Harper
Agent
We moved to our new location at:
9713 S. W. Capitol, Portland, OR
5 0 3 -2 2 1 -3 0 5 0
Fax 503-227-8757
VIP Lounge
Michelle Campbell
(503) 960-6914
iai2tiiiudx@yaJhua, turn
College Square Mall
2812 NE Hogan Dr.
Gresham, OR 97030
(Corner of242nd & Stark)
H oraces . S impson
For an appointment,
call:
(503) 734-5312
Barber
Contract Challenges Addressed
222 N. Killingsworth Ave.
Portland, Or 97211
O re g o n ’s se n io r U .S.
senator recently met with
representatives from about
30 local minority-owned busi­
nesses to discuss their frus­
trations getting government
contracts.
Ron Wyden pointed out
that no African American-
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222 N. Killingsworth
continued ^ ^ fr o m A5
to sweets chocked full of
sugar and fat. Instead, he
explained, they like lots of
fresh fruit in their pastries,
which seems to please ev­
eryone.
Tucked away in a cluster of
Asian-oriented businesses at
Southeast 86th Avenue and
Division Street, guests are
greeted with racks of exotic
looking sweets like red bean
to break w ith past p rac ­
tices.
He said that there is ample
opportunity for minority busi­
nesses to get contracts in the
federal economic stimulus
law, and asserted that he
would be working behind the
scenes to make it happen.
The audience complained
that they aren’t given enough
notice that the contracts are
available, and often can ’t
compete with much larger
firms.
“We need support to find
some other way to skin a
cat,” said one participant.
buns, and various tarts made
of egg or coconut, in addition
to western staples like sponge
cake. Visitors can also get stir
fry, or satiate their caffeine
needs with an espresso.
“Everyone likes the cake,”
said Amy Xie, Gary’s wife.
Since starting about a year
ago, the business has steadily
slogged along despite the
poor economy, she said. The
heavy snow days of last win­
ter were a drain on the busi­
ness, and people are tighten­
ing their belts in more than
one way. But the bakery still
manages to lure in enough
customers with pastries that
are still fairly cheap, with
many costing only about a
dollar or two.
In addition to catering to
the tastes of the bakery’s
Asian clientele, some of its
more exotic items, like pork
buns and cream cheese
puffs, are selling well.
But the big thing that has
helped keep the business
afloat are wedding cakes.
Gary Xie spent years honing
his craft in bakeries in China,
Brooklyn, and Oregon, and
can skillfully shape a cake
into about any image. H e’s
made cakes that look like
cartoon characters, soccer
balls, and lotus flowers.
“He can make any kind of
cake,” said Amy Xie of her
husband.
Doubling Down on Past Success
continued ^^ .from AS
Saluting Minority Businesses
Alberta Street Market
909 N.E. Alberta Street
503-282-2169
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Best Chicken Wings In Town
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Best Selection of Mirco Brew and Wine
Mon-Sun
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owned contractors got any
lucrative federal government
contracts last year. But he’s
hoping that this will change.
“If ever there was a his­
tory making time this is it,”
said Wyden, who explained
that the atm osphere in the
nation’s capital was ready
Melding Western and Eastern Tastes
to do with running Queen of
Sheba
these
d a y s ,”
Gebrehiwot told the Portland
O bserver. “ My b ro th e r
Getachew is in charge there
now.”
Gebrehiw ot brought his
brother to Portland 16 years
ago, along with his mother
and other members of their
family, as he put down roots
here and his hard work be­
Domonique Hair Design
$ 10 off
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, meets with the owners of Coast Industries during a northeast Portland visit with
minority business representatives to discuss challenges they face in getting federal contracts. Pictured (from left) are
Baruti Artharee, Bernadettte Atharee, Wyden, and Hasan Artharee.
8AM - 1 2 PM
8 AM - I PM
gan to pay off.
Bom in Tigray, Ethiopia, he
came to Portland by way of
A ddis A baba, B u lg a ria ,
Lebanon, O re., where he
was studying at Linn-Benton
Community College. He con­
tinued his study o f food
trades at Portland Commu-
property housing Dad’s Oil
at 102 N.E. Russell St. and
build a new space there. He
finally opened the new res­
taurant this summer.
W hile Q ueen o f Sheba
serves traditional Ethiopian
faire, with beef, chicken,
lamb and vegetables served
I ’m not cooking primarily fo r
other Africans. I want to give
people here a chance to see what
these dishes taste like.
- Alem Gebrehiwot
nity C ollege and O regon
State University.
G ebrehiw ot acquired a
lease on the Queen of Sheba
storefront at 2413 N.E. Mar­
tin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in
1991. It began as a specialty
food and spice store with one
table for on-premises con­
sumption, gradually morphed
into a restaurant, and even­
tually expanded into the
space next door. However,
he dream ed of having a
space he actually owned.
Four years ago he began
the process of assembling fi­
nancing to purchase the
on injera bread; in contrast
Afrique Bistro is Pan-Afri­
can, featuring recipes from
all over the continent. The
recipes are classified as be­
ing from North, South, East
or West A frica. (B ear in
mind that the countries of
Africa primarily delineate
19th-century European con­
quest, not the boundaries of
the hom elands o f ethnic
groups.)
Gebrehiwot says there are
small “colonies" of Ghana­
ian and other west African
immigrants in Portland, and
that they have enjoyed the
Bistro’s faire. However, he
stresses, “I'm not cooking
primarily for other Africans.
I want to give people here a
chance to see what these
dishes taste like.”
Those who have tried it
give the resta u ra n t high
grades.
“ It’s great,” says Susan
Bailey, who lives elsewhere
in the Eliot neighborhood.
She, her husband Mike and
daughter Alexis visited the
Bistro on opening night. “We
o rd ere d three d iffe re n t
things, and they were all
good,” Bailey says.
The e n tre e s inclu d e
Mousaka, a traditional north
African lamb stew; Babotie,
a south A frican casserole
with beef, sautéed onions,
apricots, apples, raisins and
to aste d alm onds; and
Mashilil, beef with stuffed
eggplant. Prices range from
$ 10 to $ 15 per entrée. There
are domestic as well as im­
ported beers and wines.
Afrique’s hours are 5 p.m.
to 10 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday; and 5 p.m. to 9
p.m. Sunday and Monday.
For more information, call
503-943-6616. Come visit the
Gebrehiw ot empire in the
making.
Advertise with diversity w 71* Portland ( )l)S ('F \('l
Call 503-288-0033 ads@portloridob ser\ ci.com