Click here to go back to search results.
Sun, The
(Lowell, MA)
June 9, 2003
Section: Business
SUN PHOTOS/DAVE BROW Rev. David W. Malone, pastor of the Eliot Church in Lowell, blows bubbles at Friday's grand opening celebration of Kilimanjaro on Pawtucket Boulavard.
FRANK TUTALO, Sun Staff
LOWELL Its name prompts many to think of the highest point in Africa, nearly 20,000 feet above sea level. And restaurant owners are hoping it will also become a landmark but for patrons rather than mountain climbers. Kilimanjaro African Cuisine officially opened its doors Friday, with about 40 city and business officials in attendance. The restaurant, near the Tyngsboro line at 1275 Pawtucket Blvd., specializes in dishes from Cameroon, Liberia and Ghana, and is the only African restaurant in the Mill City. "Kilamanjaro, the mountain, is a symbol and invites people from all around the world. And we want to do the same with this restaurant," said co-owner Fru Nkimbeng. Nkimbeng, whose wife Khien and Barbary Urey are co-owners, decided to open the restaurant after going to a Washington, D.C., conference with Police Superintendent Edward Davis, Cheryl West, of University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Cindy Hebert, a police grant analyst. He said he was most motivated when, upon dining with the group at an African restaurant there, Davis made mention that there was no African cuisine in Lowell. "Many people who come here have dreams to open a place like this, and I have confidence that it will be a terrific success," said Russ Smith, executive director of the Lowell Small Business Assistance Center, at the grand opening. Smith, city officials and the restaurant owners joined hands in an afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony at the restaurant, located at the Riverview Plaza, in a corner spot. There, Mayor Rita Mercier presented owners with a citation welcoming them to the city. "We all know that Lowell is rich is ethnic diversity, and this only adds more to that," she said. Jeanne Osborn, executive director of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, said the restaurant presents a great alternative for diners who are looking to try something new. The restaurant is named after Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, which, at 19,340 feet, is the highest point on the continent. It will be open everyday, except for Sundays and Mondays, when it can be opened by reservation. The restaurant opens as the city is seeing its African community expand, specifically with Cameroonians. What's more, the annual African Festival, which takes place on June 21, has also seen its popularity increase over the last few years. Nkimbeng thinks it's only a matter of time until more African-run businesses sprout up, and noted many area hair salons and convenience stores boast African owners already. "Lowell is a crossroads of many cultures, and this African restaurant gives a choice of dinner for those who want an international taste," he said. "We're delighted to be a part of the community." Urey, who will be the head chef, was once a chef in Liberia and, more recently, worked a local African-run restaurant, which closed when Urey's partner in the endeavor moved out of state, Nkimbeng said. Frank Tutalo's email is ftutalo@lowellsun.com
(c) 2003 The Sun (Lowell,
MA). All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media
NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.