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Not every retail space begins with a formal business plan or the services of a branding agency. Sometimes, it starts with a simple idea: share what you love with the people around you.

That’s how Samuel Sake launched Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine, a family-run restaurant and community hub in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. What started as a way to spend more time with his mother evolved into a full-fledged retail operation, grounded in cultural identity, authentic food, and hospitality.

Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine offers seven valuable lessons for any retailer looking to create a business where customers feel seen, welcomed, and connected.

1. Anchor Your Business in Family Values

Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine began with something simple but powerful: a desire to reconnect. Samuel wanted to be closer to his mother, so he decided to help her open a restaurant where she could share her beloved recipes and where their family could create something special together.

“I just wanted her to have something that is hers and she feels proud about being there every day,” says Samuel.

Tesfa quickly became a family-run operation. Samuel manages day-to-day logistics, his mother leads in the kitchen, his brother is training as the next chef, and his sister and aunts help wherever they can. 

By anchoring the business in love, legacy, and teamwork, Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine is serving food while also preserving culture and strengthening family ties.

If you’re starting a retail business, begin with a purpose that matters. A clear mission focused on personal values can guide your decisions and inspire long-term success.

2. Transform Lived Experience into Retail Strength

Before opening Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine, Samuel spent years as a professional performer appearing at halftime shows, fairs, and parades across the country. While it wasn’t a traditional path into retail, the skills he developed on stage, like discipline, adaptability, and audience connection, transitioned seamlessly into entrepreneurship.

Today, those same instincts shape the Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine experience. Samuel often steps out from the kitchen to guide guests through the menu, demonstrate how to eat with injera (spongy, slightly sour flatbread that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine), and share the cultural significance behind the dishes. His comfort with people and ability to think on his feet help him in high-energy, high-stakes moments, like during a busy dinner rush.

Here are some practical ways to translate your own life experience into retail success:

  • Worked in fast food or service? You likely already know how to multitask and handle pressure, which are critical skills for managing retail operations.
  • Spent years performing or public speaking? Use that confidence to engage customers, lead workshops, or pitch your brand with authenticity and conviction.
  • Been a parent or caregiver? You’re skilled in empathy, patience, and decision-making, all skills perfect for managing a team or creating a welcoming customer experience.
  • Held freelance or gig jobs? You’ve already mastered flexibility and creative problem-solving. These are two must-haves in any retail setting.

Your experience, no matter how unconventional, can strengthen your retail business. Identify the soft retail skills you’ve developed and lean into them. They may be the key to standing out in a competitive market.

3. Design Your Retail Experience to Encourage Connection

At Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine, meals are served family-style, a purposeful decision inspired by Ethiopian tradition. Dishes are presented on a large shared tray, encouraging guests to eat together, talk, and fully engage with one another.

This approach shifts the dining experience from a simple meal into something far more memorable. Guests often find themselves putting down their phones, laughing more, and staying longer. It’s an experience designed to be social and involved.

By structuring the experience around shared space and cultural meaning, Samuel has turned the restaurant into a retail environment where customers feel welcome, included, and connected.

You can do the same for your business. The way you design your retail environment has the power to shape how customers interact with your products and with each other. So, prioritize connection. You’ll create lasting memories, deeper loyalty, and a sense of belonging that keeps your community close.

4. Educate Customers Through Hands-On Engagement

At Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine, customer service is a core value that shapes every part of the dining experience. Samuel understands that many guests are new to Ethiopian cuisine, so he takes time to walk them through the process of eating with their hands and savoring each unique flavor.

Here are some of the ways Samuel turns cultural education into customer engagement:

  • Demonstrates how to eat Ethiopian food, encouraging guests to use their hands and embrace the experience without hesitation.
  • Breaks down the menu by flavor, suggesting guests try sauces one at a time to learn their preferences before mixing.
  • Explains unfamiliar ingredients in a welcoming, non-intimidating way, helping customers feel comfortable asking questions.
  • Models Ethiopian customs, like gursha, to help guests understand the traditions behind the food.

Your retail space can become something more when you take time to educate customers with patience and authenticity. Doing so will help you build deeper relationships and foster stronger brand loyalty.

5. Let Your Culture Define Your Brand

Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine is an immersive expression of Ethiopian identity. Every element, from the spices in the kitchen to the atmosphere in the dining room, has been chosen with cultural intention. The textures, the language, and the service style all reflect a deep connection to heritage.

Samuel explains that the word “Tesfa” means “hope” in Amharic, a name inspired by his upbringing in a rural part of Ethiopia, where hope guided his family’s dreams for a better future. Today, that same spirit lives on in the restaurant through the food, in the warmth, humility, and pride with which it’s served.

Culture is a brand advantage. When you build your retail experience around your heritage, values, or personal story, you create an identity that customers connect with on a deeper, more meaningful level.

6. Create a Space That Feels Like Home

Walking into Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine feels like arriving at someone’s home, and that feeling is by design.

From the beginning, Samuel referred to the restaurant as a “house.” A reflection of his desire to create a welcoming space where guests could slow down, connect, and be present. To encourage this, he placed games on the tables, prompting diners to put away their phones and interact with one another.

That home-like approach extends to the way returning customers are treated. Regulars are often greeted with affectionate familiarity. Their effort is viewed as a genuine reflection of how the restaurant perceives its role in the community.

When your retail space feels personal and intentional, it transcends being just a business and becomes an integral part of people’s lives. Focus on creating an environment that encourages real connection, and your customers will keep coming back to experience the atmosphere, the people, and the products they trust.

7. Build Loyalty Through Personal Touches

At Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine, customer loyalty is earned through genuine, thoughtful gestures.

Samuel takes the time to show appreciation by making guests feel seen and valued. He’s been able to turn first-time visitors into returning regulars and returning regulars into extended family.

Some of the ways Tesfa cultivates customer loyalty include:

  • Offering complimentary tea to familiar faces as a way of saying “welcome back.”
  • Gifting branded items like cups or light-up pens during the holidays to surprise and delight guests.
  • Greeting returning customers warmly, often with a smile and the phrase, “You’re family now.”

These acts may not be scalable, but they’re the kind of details that people remember and talk about.

Loyalty isn’t always built through systems. Real loyalty is built through relationships. Small, consistent acts of kindness can turn everyday customers into lifelong supporters. In retail, the most powerful loyalty strategy is making people feel valued and important.

Conclusion

Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine is a testament to heart-centered entrepreneurship, creating a community-centered retail experience that embodies the spirit of Ethiopian culture. Samuel Sake didn’t follow a conventional playbook. Instead, he built something powerful by blending purpose, family, culture, and connection.

Retailers seeking to grow their businesses should take note: Loyalty is built through genuine connection. Authentic branding stems from identity, and real retail success is measured in smiles, stories, and shared experiences.

Want to learn more about other Illinois retail leaders? Read inspiring stories from retailers across Illinois who are making a difference.

If you loved learning about Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine and know a retailer who deserves recognition, Nominate A Retailer!

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