Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant will close on U Street Nov. 7 after nearly 30 years

Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant, one of the longest-running Ethiopian restaurants on the U Street corridor, will close next month. The family that owns it says the restaurant at 1114-1118 U Street NW will serve customers for the last time on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The owners announced the closure on Instagram on Oct. 1, according to The 51st and DC News Now. Hiwot Gebru, Yodit Tefera and Lydia Tefera signed the statement. The 51st reports that the upstairs lounge will close as well.

From carryout to corner landmark

Dukem started on U Street in 1997 as a small carryout and market. Tefera Zewdie and his wife, Hiwot Gebru, opened it, as PoPville reported in 2024. It grew into a full-service restaurant with a lounge upstairs.

Zewdie died in November 2022 at age 66, The 51st reported. Since then, his wife and daughters have run the business.

A struggle to keep going

The family has talked publicly about money problems before. In August 2024, Lydia Tefera posted a TikTok video saying the restaurant was in trouble and asking the community for support. The video drew more than a million views, The 51st reported. Food critic and influencer Keith Lee visited later that month. The 51st reported that the attention brought in new customers, but the business still had its ups and downs afterward.

The closing announcement does not give one specific reason. The 51st reports that Lydia Tefera called it a very hard and emotional decision in a video she posted. In their statement, the owners thanked guests, employees and neighbors for decades of support.

What’s next

Dukem will stay open through Nov. 7, and the family has invited longtime customers to come back for a final meal. None of the outlets that reported the closure said what will become of the U Street space. District Times could not confirm any plans for it.