Akin Alafin, co-owner of Zanzibar Soul Cafe in Shaker Square, considers his next move. Early in June his restaurant will relocate on the other side of the Square, in the former Sarava.
Zanzibar Soul Fusion restaurant at Shaker Square has long hoped for more spacious digs and a better kitchen. They've found both -- just across the street, in the former home of Sergio's Sarava.
On Monday, June 3, owner Akin Alafin and his crew will move across the Square into the lovely space long occupied by restaurateur Sergio Abramof.
"We're very happy and excited, mostly because we're going to have better and more efficient service," says Alafin. While presence in the historic shopping district has brought his restaurant considerable attention and a growing fan base, the space Zanzibar currently occupies poses severe limitations.
"If people walked into our kitchen and saw what we've been working with the last couple of years -- I'd guarantee, your home kitchen is probably bigger," says Alafin. "Now we have a real kitchen that was meant to be used in a fully functional restaurant."
In addition to quadrupling the size of his kitchen, it also provides Zanzibar with an expansive warren of rooms, roughly three times larger than the present home.
The new location includes a private dining area that seats about 50 guests.
"We'll be able to seat 165 guests," Alafin says. Sarava once seated 185 guests, but the new inhabitants hoped to recreate the popular "transition" room where guests at Zanzibar can linger over drinks before or after dinner, or enjoy desserts.
"By removing 20 seats, we created a lounge area where people can come and sit, have a conversation, meetings, whatever," Alafin says.
Alafin is son of one of the city's most popular restaurant owners, Angie Jeter of Angie's Soul Cafe with two locations in Cleveland. ("She's semi-retired -- I stopped saying she's retired, because I can't stop her from going to the restaurants," Alafin says.) In January, he and his partners opened Stonetown, in downtown Cleveland. </p>
<p>He has more moves ahead. After recently selling another of his restaurants, Jezebel's Bayou on Larchmere Boulevard, to another family member, Alafin is looking to expand the Zanzibar brand to other cities in Ohio. Plans are underway for an Akron location to open in spring 2014.
Angie's Soul Kitchen: Two locations -- 3859 Superior Ave. Cleveland;angiessoulcafe.com, 216-426-8890, and in the Lee/Harvard Plaza, 16906 Harvard Ave., Cleveland, 216-295-7685 (SOUL) </p>
Stonetown: 627 Prospect Ave., Cleveland; stonetownusa.com, 216-862-5772.
Zanzibar Soul Fusion restaurant: 13114 Shaker Square, Cleveland, 216-916-9422, zanzibarohio.comÂ. On Monday, June 3 the restaurant will open in a new location, 13225 Shaker Square, Cleveland.
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