On the Cover: Find Your Community at Chibo Coffee in Lilburn

By Kristen Eleveld

Many of us consider our morning coffee to be more than just a morning energy boost – it’s a lifestyle. But for Tsedey Woldesellassie and Tesfa Baye, they mean that literally: as owners and operators of Chibo Coffee, they have truly embraced the coffee life.

Tsedey and Tesfa both moved to the United States from Ethiopia within the last twenty-five years. Tsedey, who graduated from Kennesaw State University with her bachelor’s in accounting and minor in finance, would eventually choose to leave her job to focus on the coffee shop full-time and become the mastermind behind the menu creations.

Tesfa always knew he wanted to run his own business, and he attained his bachelor’s in business administration while bartending all throughout college. After graduating college and exploring some job options and businesses, he remembered that the job he enjoyed most was his time as a bartender. Interacting with customers and getting to know them was a highlight of his day, and he began to make a plan for a business of his own that would create a sense of community and togetherness. Based on this experience, he decided to open a coffee shop.

“I am very passionate about people, and I love serving others,” Tesfa said. “I love talking with people and getting to know them.”

After getting married, Tesfa and Tsedey moved to the Gwinnett area to start a family and to set their sights on opening a coffee shop that would allow Gwinnett residents to enjoy a taste of Ethiopia. While Gwinnett County is known for its diversity and representation of many countries and cultures, Tesfa found that there weren’t any Ethiopian dining options.

“Our shop is the first Ethiopian coffee shop in Gwinnett,” said Tesfa. “The community has been very supportive. We have been very happy.”

Anyone from Ethiopia will know that the country has mastered the art of coffee. Residents often drink it multiple times a day, usually with each meal and sometimes even right before going to sleep. With this in mind, Tesfa and Tsedey set out to bring a little bit of Ethiopia to our own Gwinnett County.

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