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Lily Fasil, owner of Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe at 402 1/2 N. Second St. in Jackson Ward
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The interior of Buna Kurs
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A breakfast combo at the cafe
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Jebena, traditional Ethiopian coffee pots
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More seating in the cafe
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A print in the cafe illustrating the steps of Ethiopian coffee service
“I don’t know if you know this, but Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee,” says Lily Fasil, owner of the recently opened Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe in the former Saadia’s Juicebox space at 402 1/2 N. Second St. “Coffee is what I grew up with.”
Fasil, 34, also grew up attending Ethiopian coffee ceremonies. Often hosted at night, they are communal gatherings of friends, neighbors and family. Guests join in a circle during the sensory experience, beans are washed in front of them and roasted over open charcoal as the intoxicating aroma of grounds lingers in the air. The fruit-forward coffee is poured during three courses, each cup offering its own distinct taste, served with milk and sugar as well as salt and butter. Incense is lit, and snacks called “bunakers,” such as popcorn or bread, are served.
“Ethiopia is my first home, but I’ve been in Richmond almost a decade and want to bring my authentic home to my second home, so I do really want to introduce this to Richmond,” Fasil says of the long-standing tradition. “Let’s calm down, let’s look at each other, let’s take a breath. Coffee is bonding.”
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fasil immigrated to the U.S. with her family in 2009. Shortly after arriving, she enrolled at VCU to study communications. Post-graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., working a corporate gig before coming back to Richmond with encouragement from her older sister, Aida Kochel.
Last year, the duo embarked on a three-month journey to Ethiopia that would lay the groundwork and serve as inspiration for the cafe. There, the sisters worked on creating a nonprofit to assist mothers and their children born with disabilities. During the trip, Fasil also did some soul-searching, hoping to find a way to merge her passions for photography, party planning and supporting others.
“I wanted to create a creative studio for people to use for whatever reason they want, but I wanted something that will make me stand out, and [my sister] said, ‘You always loved coffee, why don’t you incorporate coffee?’ ” Fasil recalls. “I’m the full owner, but my sister is an equal part of this story; she actually came up with the name.”
“Buna” translates to coffee, and “kurs” to breakfast, and the menu at the cafe presents a bit of both.
“All of this, we grew up eating,” says Fasil, pointing to the menu at Buna Kurs featuring ertib, an Ethiopian potato sandwich and popular street food that is common in the wintertime, and egg silsi, scrambled eggs in tomato sauce with onions and jalapenos that are spiced with berbere, a chile blend she describes as “kind of like paprika, but with an Ethiopian touch.”
Diners can also find dishes including injera fir fir, the traditional fermented Ethiopian soft flatbread sauteed in a spicy sauce and served with a spoon, along with a side of injera or bread; sambusa, a stuffed pastry with lentils, onions and jalapenos; and kinche, bulgur cooked and seasoned with olive oil or kibbeh, clarified butter. A breakfast combo offers egg silsi, kinche, fir fir and a side of injera, which Fasil says are her three favorites.
“My Ethiopian community is very excited about this,” she says with a wide smile. “We have two or three Ethiopian restaurants here [in Richmond], but most of that is geared for lunch and dinner. This is, ‘Let me get an authentic Ethiopian breakfast.’ ”
A case at the front counter at Buna Kurs is stocked with miniature pastries including mille-feuille, a Napoleon-inspired cake, tiramisu and fruit tarts. While the cafe outsources the treats, Fasil says they are baked specifically for the cafe.
“People ask, ‘Are these Ethiopian?’ but these are pastries that are frequented in Ethiopia,” she says. “Like baklava, there was a joint in Ethiopia we would line up to go get it, and puff pastries, we love them in Ethiopia.”
It’s not uncommon for the outgoing and hospitable Fasil to speak with a customer in her native tongue of Amharic, or even a few of her employees, such as chef Zemenay, who recently moved from Ethiopia and whom Fasil met through church, or baristas Hassat and Redet. Also behind the bar is Gray Fultz, a seasoned industry worker previously of Birdie’s and Pop’s Market on Grace.
After settling in, Fasil plans to offer a dedicated weekly Ethiopian coffee service. She also aims to use the back half of the cafe, which was once a yoga studio, for brunch pop-ups, community events and a gallery space, dubbing it a blank canvas of opportunity.
Fasil says, “When I started this whole thing, it was all on faith. Everyone that has been a part of Buna Kurs has been fitting like a puzzle. I tell everyone, one thing I’ve been bragging about is God is showing off on me.”
Fasil sources her beans from Yirgacheffe, a region in Southern Ethiopia where beans thrive and exude delicate, floral notes, and she has them roasted at Carytown Coffee. Inside the warm cafe, the walls have been adorned with a fresh coat of paint, and a framed print on the wall showcases the steps of Ethiopian coffee service and the three cups: abol, tona and bereka. The cafe bar is dotted with small cups used during the ceremony called sini.
Sharing her heritage with the community and encouraging guests to embrace the idea of slowing down, Fasil is looking forward to offering a place of connection and culture.
“I want this to be a place where the hungry can be fed, and the tired can rest and the needy can find their true talents,” Fasil says. “I want the place to smell like coffee beans, the traditional way my mom makes it. ... People have been very eager, and people are like, ‘This is what we needed, something different.’ ”
Buna Kurs is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
