From afar, Tryst coffee shop on the off street of the busy Bole road is as ordinary as the word ordinary can possibly get. Inside a room that is slightly bigger than a single parking spot, with no extraordinary features to lure one in, this particular cafe has become a meeting hub for the Diaspora as well as diplomats who seek to social and network, despite its space.
“I come here, above all else, for the lively conversation that occurs in this place. An hour here, you can have a conversation on the US election, the politics of Ethiopia, on food, on business and others and you will come out well aware of your surroundings and lots of laughter”, Michael Bekele, a Diaspora and an entrepreneur who moved back to Addis Ababa four year ago said.
The place was opened by Aya Lemma, an Ethiopian American barista, having moved from Washington DC. According to the Washington Post that profiled him in 2016, he came with 15 years of experience working in a cafe named – what else – Tryst in DC.
He has since opened a second satellite cafe in the Atlas area. Most of the friends he made in America eventually moved to Ethiopia making his place crowded, busy and growing; now forcing him to move to a bigger space that is expected to happen in a few months.
“The place is always crowded. He makes us food that we are used to abroad. He has an easy going personality coupled with fair prices. He knows most of us by name and we feel at home in his place. What more can we expect?” Tadios Lema told The Reporter.
“I have made the place a meeting place and a casual place of choice for myself and my circle of friends”, he added.
Tryst has expanded its menu, catering to the diversity and taste of its customers. It now offers a variety of burgers, including grilled cheese sandwich, tuna melt sandwich and a variety of burritos and wraps averaging 150 Birr.
To Michael, that is all he needed after a busy day, in a city of concrete, high-rise and almost no personal touch and uniform life service in other places, making Tryst a unique cafe.
“I get to experience the taste of America, while having a conversation in Amharic with many people with similar experiences and needs and again, that is what makes Tryst a special and unique place”, he added, while enjoying a glass of draft beer.
