Courtesy of Afro Deli
Afro Deli
Looking for something new to munch on at the State Fair? Afro Deli is bringing their signature sambusas by the thousand to their new booth.
A pioneer of African flavor in the Twin Cities, the beloved business has expanded from Cedar Riverside to multiple locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul throughout the years. Their grab-and-go options also stock local grocery stores, gas stations, and even the MSP airport. Now, the restaurant is excited to share their flavors at the Fair, offering an assortment of African and Mediterranean-inspired bites and beverages.
It’s capping what’s already been a big year for Afro Deli owner and CEO Abdirahman Kahin. The recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2023 Business Person of the Year award, Kahin made a visit to the White House in early May to accept it from President Joe Biden himself. For Kahin, the excitement of the win is still fresh.
“It was overwhelming. I'm still enjoying that moment, it's a lifetime achievement. It's something that Minnesota is proud of, and I couldn't not express, you know, how much I appreciate to win that award,” he says. Shortly after he received it, Kahin learned that Afro Deli would be the newest State Fair vendor. That's when the preparation began.
With only a few months to get ready, the restaurant has been feeling the pressure from all angles. Being a new vendor at the Fair is a big responsibility, Kahin says.
“It was a big task. People are wondering what’s new this year, and we are the highlight.” He notes that even the Fair itself warned them to expect large crowds,“with every new business, you get a big following.”
The Afro Deli team made sure that the booth was fully staffed and ready for the crowds. “It’s not easy to hire people last minute,” Kahin admits. “We luckily found people that we needed, and since it is our first year we are over-staffing ourselves because we don’t know what we don't know.”
Another huge step to become fair-ready was prepping the space itself. “You can imagine, you are handed over a kitchen where there is nothing in it,” Kahin says, “so we had to equip, modify the kitchen, and design it to the Afro Deli brand. Not only are we bringing new flavor [to the Fair], we are bringing new color!” Kahin jokes. The colorful booth is decorated with vibrant hues, and is hard to miss.
The Afro Deli booth is located on the east wall of the Food Building and is open for the full run of the Fair. Offering a sampling of Afro Deli classics, the stars of the show are their sambusas. The flakey, triangle-shaped pastries are perfectly portable, a must for walking around the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Over the past few weeks, Afro Deli has been prepping the sambusas, hand-crafting over 70,000 of them. “We rented a special kitchen just to do that work,” Kahin says.
The pastries are stuffed with beef, chicken, or lentil, and go great with basbaas, a spicy Somali dipping sauce. Customers can cool down from both the spice and the summer heat with a refreshing glass of fresh-squeezed mango juice or spiced Somali iced tea. And as per usual, all food from Afro Deli is prepared Halal.
Kahin is delighted by the opportunity to showcase African culture and cuisine to Minnesota fairgoers. “We are excited because I think we are going to be the first African restaurant [at the Fair] in a while. I think a lot of people from the African community are excited to find us at the State Fair, because now they have something to brag for,” he says.
