About 40 students, alumni, faculty and staff interested in learning about local small-scale businesses and their economic and cultural contributions participated in the fourth Penn State Lehigh Valley International Food and Entrepreneur Series held Oct. 5 at Mariam's in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Owned by husband and wife, Ebisa and Beleteschachew Multata, Mariam's is the first Ethiopian restaurant in the Lehigh Valley. It opened four years ago on Seventh Street in downtown Allentown.
The event was held in two parts. First, a traditional Ethiopian dinner was served concluding with Ethiopian coffee and then a seminar discussion with the Multatas followed.
Growing up in Ethiopia as a young girl, it was Beleteschachew's dream to open a restaurant. She achieved this dream when she and her husband, Ebisa, opened Mariam's together. Sharing her dream with the Penn State community earlier this month was a special moment for Beleteschachew, particularly since her son graduated from Penn State a couple of years ago.
“I attend the dinners for the opportunity to explore new cultures in my own community with my work friends, colleagues, and students. It is fascinating to learn the personal stories of people originally from other countries and cultures,” said Karen Kackley Dutt, instructor in biology at Penn State Lehigh. “I enjoy hearing about how they came to settle in the Lehigh Valley and about the values and traditions they bring with them. Our dinners offer a relaxed and open atmosphere to explore new foods and cultures. I leave these events feeling very proud to be a member of a campus community that is so rich in diversity and one that values the traditions of the global community with respect and friendship.”