Bethelhem Bidiglen wants to share two of her favorite things with the people in and around Clarkston – coffee and pastries.
“This is me,” Bidiglen said, talking about her coffee shop. “This is what I like to eat because I grew up in France.”
On May 9, Bidiglen opened her own business, Kuku Ethiopian Coffee, located at 980 Rowland Street in Clarkston. The coffee shop blends her unique history of two different cultures, starting with the great-tasting coffee beans of Ethiopia and her love of the sweet pastries of France.
Bidiglen was born in Ethiopia, but she spent much of her childhood in France, where she discovered her love of great pastries. After some time in France, she moved back to Ethiopia, and about seven years ago, she and her family made their way to the U.S. and settled in Clarkston.
Eventually, Bidiglen found a job as a recruiter at Amplio Recruiting, helping other refugees find jobs. While working as a recruiter, Bidiglen had other ideas. Chris Chancey, her boss at Amplio Recruiting, took notice. Bidiglen said Chancey asked her to write her ideas on note cards and put them in a box throughout the week. Then, every Friday, he would go through the cards and read them.
“I always had this idea of having my own business one day,” Bidiglen said. “… Hopefully, one day, I’d like owning a restaurant or a coffee shop.”
Bidiglen’s mission to help others and her love of community kept her moving toward her own goals and dreams. And some four to five years later, after putting the card with the idea of opening her own business in the box, her dream became reality. She said Chancey, her boss, and her family, have been a source of help and support every step of the way.
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