Elizabeth Orosco
Northeast News

Thursday, August 22, the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce hosted their monthly Coffee on the Corridor event, this time at the Somali Mall.

Located on the southwest corner of Independence Avenue and Olive Street, the mall is home to 12 businesses, including clothing stores, cellphone services, coffee shop, meat and food mart, and jewelry store.

Attendees were able to try chai tea lattes from the Hamar Weyne Coffee Shop as well as mandazi, a form of fried bread that originates on the Swahili Coast.

Another popular item available at the coffee shop are sambusas, a triangular fried bread pocket that has various types of meat filling, mixed with spiced potatoes, peas, onions, or lentils.

Jawahir Weyrah, owner of the Ayser Jewelry Store inside the shopping center, displayed the wide array of jewelry, scarves, perfume, and clothing her store offers.

“The gold is from Somalia, the Middle East, and all of Africa,” she said. “It is designed in Somalia, South Arabia, Kuwait, and Dubai.”

Bobbi Baker-Hughes, CEO of the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, said the business owners were thankful to have the event hosted at their facilities.

“We have had so much opportunity here to share the Somali culture,” she said. “They have thanked us and invited us to come back as often as anyone would like.”

The Northeast Chamber of Commerce will be hosting their annual International Marketplace Taste and Tour on Saturday, September 14.

The tour will begin at the American Sons of Columbus Hall, located at 2415 Independence Avenue at 1pm.

Attendees will visit five restaurants and three coffee stations spanning five continents in the Northeast.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit nekcchamber.com.

The next Coffee on the Corridor event will be Thursday, October 26 at 10a.m.