St. Paul business destroyed during civil unrest recognized for its resilience

Thursday, Bole Ethiopian Cuisine opened its doors at a new location in St. Paul and was given an award for its resiliency from the Midway Chamber of Commerce.

The reopening and the award comes after the owners lost everything after last year’s civil unrest.

One year ago this week, more than 330 businesses in St. Paul were damaged or destroyed from the civil unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd, leaving behind $82 million in damage.

"All the tears, the sweat, the laughter, seeing all that burn and ashes, it was hard. It was a really hard time," said Solomon Hailie, co-owner of the restaurant.

The family was about to open a new space on University Avenue last year but were never able to since the entire space was destroyed in a fire on May 28, 2020.

"The only reason this restaurant is back is because of the people’s support," Hailie said. "This fire, everything was just a setback for a comeback like this."

In their darkest moment, a GoFundMe account swelled with funds to help the family. They also received a grant from area business associations.

A five-minute drive away from Bole’s new location in the Como neighborhood, back in their old Midway neighborhood, some businesses have found new locations. Others still show signs of unrest on University Avenue with boarded windows.

"It’s heart-wrenching to see what so many people went through," said Chad Kulas, executive director of the Midway Chamber of Commerce.

More than 80 businesses have benefited from nearly $1 million in grant money to help get them back on their feet. Those funds came from the Midway Chamber, the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and the St. Paul Downtown Alliance.

"When you go up and down University Avenue, you see a lot of development that’s occurring right now. That’s a sign people are interested in investing in our community,” Kulas said.