Chef Safari's Zawadi Food is Coming Back!

Jambo Everyone!

 

Chef Safari just became US Citizen August 5, 2021

Hongera! Congratulations Bwana Safari!

 

This delightful Kenyan is well-known to many Durangoans, other locals and tourists.

 

 

He is Chef Arnold Safari Ngumbao of the African Cuisine Durango restaurant, Eat Zawadi.

 

We are Tony Foltman and Terese Lyons. We have known Chef Safari for some years. We have visited Kenya many times and know Kenyans well. Chef Safari is an example of the best.

 

Due to unforeseen circumstances his restaurant and food truck were suddenly closed without his approval. We are committed to helping him in any way we can.

 

He started his restaurant during the Covid-19 pandemic and was an immediate success. At the time the Durango Herald noted:

 

“...we have good news. Eat Zawadi, specializing in traditional African cuisine, has opened in Durango” and “There’s a 100% chance we’ll be going back for more in the very near future.”

 

And that has been true for his many customers. The support for Chef Safari has been amazing. His food was voted Best Vegetarian Restaurant in Durango. His offerings were later extended to a Zawadi Food Truck at the 11th Street Station, where once again, he had many enthusiastic customers.

 

Not surprising really. Chef Safari has 26 years of experience, worked as Executive Chef in five star lodges throughout Africa (as well as in our own Strater and Doubletree Hotels!) and holds two culinary degrees from the Escoffier Culinary Institute. He was a chef with World Chefs Without Borders, a humanitarian aid initiative that establishes cooking training programs and infrastructure.

 

The Voice of America even produced a video about him! See it on YouTube:

 

 

“Zawadi” means “gift” in Kiswahili. Chef Safari meant his restaurant to be a gift back to his adopted Durango during Covid. He provided free food to some front-line workers and take-out for others. It was indeed a gift. And Chef Safari himself is a gift to all of us.

 

But now, Chef Safari is in need of a Zawadi himself.

 

He and his five employees were suddenly out of work. He lost his restaurant, his income, and his ability to continue to help his adopted home town.

 

But Chef Safari is nothing, if not enthusiastic, hard working, creative and persevering. He hopes to bring a new and better food truck to Durango!

 

But that takes money. He needs your help to raise $50,000.      UPDATE: NOW ONLY $25,000!!!  WE HAVE MADE SOME REAL PROGRESS!

 

There still is:

• updating cooking equipment
• permits
• rental space
• provisions, utilities
• insurance
• etc., etc., etc.

You get the picture. It’s not simple. But Chef Safari has the experience, expertise, and grit to do it! But he needs our help.

And you have been helping!

If everyone who ordered a Spicy Ethiopian Beef Entree ($18) or a Chicken Tangine ($15) or any of his other wonderful dishes just paid back the cost of ONE of those delicious meals we would be very close to our goal. If you paid back TWO meals, we could make it!

And if all of our previous donor could dig a little deeper we can be there even sooner.

We are giving $1 to the fund for every $18 donated.

 

We hope that you will join with us as members of his adopted Durango community to bring back the gift of Chef Safari to us.

 

Asante sana (Thank you very much) from us on behalf of Chef Safari!