About Desta Bairu
Lived 1914 – 2002 (aged 87–88). Desta Bairu was a restaurateur.
Desta Bairu (June 1, 1914 - June 20, 2002) was an Eritrean-American cook and restaurateur.
Early life Bairu was born on June 1, 1914, in Asmara, then a colony of Italy. The restaurant became increasingly popular with diplomats, students and refugees, all in Washington and disenfranchised by the dethronement of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. The clientele grew to include Peace Corps veterans and a wider American audience. Even though the restaurant bore her namesake, Bairu was not the owner Mamma Desta. It eventually closed in 1984 when Bairu moved to Chicago.
Death Bairu died in 2002 near Minneapolis.
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Important facts
Related people
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Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Desta Bairu's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Desta Bairu?
Ethiopian-American cook and restaurateur
When was Desta Bairu born?
Desta Bairu was born in 1914.
When did Desta Bairu die?
Desta Bairu died in 2002.
What was Desta Bairu's occupation?
Desta Bairu was a restaurateur.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Desta Bairu. https://biography.guide/desta-bairu/
MLA: "Desta Bairu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/desta-bairu/.
Chicago: "Desta Bairu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/desta-bairu/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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