Conversations with the Inspiring Tamar Telahun

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamar Telahun.

Tamar, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Ethiopia of Eritrean parents, I came to the states at the age of 14 years old. I am the baby of six kids, my mother is the strongest, selfless & kindest women I know. She gave up a whole lot to make sure my siblings and I can live a better life in the states. I grow up in the DMV area and relocated to Los Angeles after high school. I spent a great deal of my life in the entertainment industry starting with fashion industry at the age of 15, then to music industry, before moving into the world of jewelry design, Interior design & now I guess Restaurateur.

I relocated to Atlanta, in 2006 after my divorce wanting a fresh start. I truly was trying to reconnect with myself and figure out what my next move should be for my career. Do I go to work at an architecture firm full time or take a job as a designer at a smaller design firm? I would think about this every waking moment trying to decide what I was going to do. In the meantime, I started working as an art dealer shortly after I was introduced to someone that was looking to bring in a general manager for his bar lounge in downtown Atlanta. That started the ball rolling for me to go into the restaurant and nightlife industry. It allowed me to meet a lot of people and opened other opportunities in the same industry. In 2011, I opened my first business Therapy Lounge.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is it ever a smooth road? I don’t know of any entrepreneur that would say it is easy, well I have never met one at least. I started my jewelry & Interior design business in 2003 so I was already doing some side projects on my own that allowed me to see what life would be like if I worked for myself. I knew it was going to be a long road of challenges and setbacks, but I had the fire inside of me and it was imperative for me to prove to myself and to anyone who doubted my capabilities. Therapy Lounge was born in 2011, by 2013, I convinced my brother Simon to join me and we are the proud owners of multiple businesses in Atlanta the newest one being Feedel Bistro Ethiopian/Eritrean Restaurant. There were many challenges you face as a new business owner. There is no book out there that can teach you or walk you through all the obstacles you are about to face because no two days are ever the same. From finding supporting staff you can trust, to knowing all the rules and regulations of owning a restaurant, bar or lounge. You will face endless obstacles and challenges on a daily basis from having enough capital to open a place, to find the supporting staff that can see your vision and future in the project as you see. For your business to succeed, you must show your passion and dedication to your staff and hope they can see the same thing and turn it into a reality. Employees are the representatives of your business to your customers and the world outside, they play a big role in your connection to your customers. The hardest part of working for your self is managing people. There will be times when you have to play a dishwasher, server, bartender, host and sometimes even cleaning crew. You have to be ok with that because it will happen. The hours are long, you don’t get days off and you must know there are no such things as catching up with your sleep. While you are dealing with all that you must also think outside the box and be ready for the competition that is about to come around you from other businesses with similar concepts. So, you must be creative enough to make sure your concept stays in a league of its own. You must create a concept that could only be found in your business

Step outside your comfort zone, it’s ok to be scared but have the courage to walk towards your fear. You must learn to value your time, by that I mean to realize your worth and act accordingly. Keep in mind you will miss many parties, events, any social gathering, sometimes your own birthday dinner, you must be ok with that. Think of this way you can party better with money a few years down its so much more fun. Money is not everything and no it will not bring you happiness, but it will make life easier. Learn to take good care of yourself you are the caption of the ship you have a lot of people you lead, you can do that from a hospital by neglecting your health and wellbeing (I speak from experience), not very. Remember your hustle is not the same as your friend or associates, go for yours if others have a different agenda than you, it’s ok to love them from far. Those that see your dream will support you those that don’t again you can love them from far. You are not perfect you will make a mistake learn from it and move on, tomorrow is another fresh start. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from those you trust and see your vision Keep pushing forward. Finally, not everything that sparkles is gold, learn to be an independent thinker, do not become a follower, don’t get social media to make you feel like you have not done enough, or you don’t have enough. What you are doing is perfectly enough for that day.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Feedel Bistro Ethiopian Eritrean Cuisine, Therapy Coffee. Bar, Lounge, Tribal Smoke Shop, Azaem Design Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Since we have multiple businesses it is hard to talk about just one thing I do. Since Feedel Bistro is the newest baby in the group, I will just speak about the restaurant. Feedel Bistro is an Ethiopian & Eritrean Restaurant located in Briarcliff Rd & Clairmont Rd in a small shopping center that also happens to be next to both of my other businesses, Therapy Lounge & Tribal Smoke shop.

My day to day mostly is making sure all the food we have on our menu is made well following the steps of our moms’ ways of cooking. The place is as clean and presentable as it should be. As the day moves on, I work on anything else from coming up with new dishes to add to the menu, inventory, booking events or catering. I try to introduce myself to customers and build a relationship with them, so they know our story and walk away feeling appreciated and welcomed.

Being an Interior Designer didn’t hurt when it came down to designing Feedel Bistro. I loved creating a unique space that is so unexpected from the outside. The unassuming space is meant to start conversations. Both countries have so much to offer and I wanted to represent them both equally in the best way I know-how. By designing a modern space, that is both soothing and thought-provoking. I love watching people walk around the restaurant as if they are in an art gallery, it gives us a way to connect with strangers. Ethiopian / Eritrean food is best known for its unique spices and presentations of various seasoned meats, savory vegetables, flavorful stews, and Injera, a traditional spongy bread, usually always served alongside entrees. We are extremely Vegan-friendly like Cabbage, Collard Greens and a few different types of Lentil dishes. Diners will also find classic staples like meaty tibs made of chicken, beef or lamb, as well as vegetarian and vegan favorites.

I am most proud as a brand to introduce people of our culture in a way it has never been done before. Upon opening the door for Feedel Bistro we set out to serve the best home cooking Ethiopian / Eritrean food in the city. But we wanted to go beyond just the good food and service, we wanted to teach people our culture and tradition along the way. Every inch of the space has something that makes you fall in love. We called it Feedel because Feedel means Alphabet in both languages Amharic for Ethiopian and Tigrinya for Eritreans. Starting from the alphabet that is hanging on the wall in the dining area to the antiques & artifacts placed all over the restaurant, bar area to the artwork selected all have stories. I believe all the things I listed above set us apart from everyone else.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I don’t know if society has made it easier for women to go into the night life industry but for restaurants the game is a little different. The nightlife industry is still dominated by men so it’s up to the women if that’s the industry they want to go toward to do their research and do it better then the next man. The boys club will always be there, but I don’t give that too much thought. I am always up for the challenge. The once that have been in the game for a long time have shown me nothing but love.

Having said that it does not mean it doesn’t come with its own challenges, but when you I grow up in a household where your brothers told me being a girl was never a disadvantage in their eyes. In fact often they would say “you can do anything a man can do in business, you most likely can do it ten times better.” There are many opportunities for us we just have to go for it. We need to believe we can do it before we expect someone else to tell us they believe we can. My believe is if they didn’t have a position for me, I am going to make sure I make them create one for me. Thank God, I don’t have to worry about it, I was able to create my own way.

Contact Info:

• Address: Feedel Bistro
  3125 Briarcliff Rd. NE
  Atlanta, GA 30329
• Website: www.feedelbistro.com
• Phone: (404) 963-2905
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @feedelbistro
• Facebook: Feedel Bistro

Image Credit:
Henri Hollis, Mike Jackson

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