Coffee is a big part of Ethiopian culture, and not in the way Starbucks is in American culture.

It’s not easy being an independent coffee shop in D.C. While Starbucks and other conglomerates continue to bloom like mushrooms on virtually every block of downtown, several local favorites have closed their doors in the past year. Sparky’s Cafe abruptly shut down; Murky Coffee was seized by the D.C. government for failing to pay taxes; and 14U closed in April with plans to reopen as a handbag boutique/cafe hybrid. However, one indie coffee house is…