Popular New Center restaurant Baobab Fare plans second spot on east side

Baobab Fare, a nationally acclaimed East African restaurant in New Center, is planning a second location.

What's happening: Married co-owners Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere are looking to buy a building at 16900 E. Warren Ave. in East English Village from the city for $145,000 and renovate it, per city documents.

• The purchase still requires city council approval.

Between the lines: Baobab Fare opened in early 2021 and has had two successful years, Mamba tells Axios. The owners have been thinking about a second location since last year and originally got an offer to open in Ann Arbor.

• But they ultimately decided to stay, grow and contribute in Detroit.
• "We started everything from here," Mamba says.
• The building in the growing East Warren corridor, he says, was an opportunity to bring needed restaurant options to the east side area.
• It also allows the restaurant to expand to space much larger than its small spot at Woodward and East Grand Boulevard.

What's next: The co-owners are still early in the process. They plan to start construction on their new space around October and open around next summer, with a build-out cost of around $1 million-$1.2 million, Mamba says.

• The spot will have a similar concept and ambience.

Of note: The co-owners are semifinalists for this year's James Beard restaurant industry awards. Mamba also recently won the Food Network competition "Chopped."