3 days ago
A Pioneering African Fast-Casual Restaurant Shuts Down in Harlem
Teranga, an acclaimed African fast-casual restaurant founded by chef Pierre Thiam, is closing its original location inside the Africa Center in Harlem on Sunday, June 15, Time Out New York reports. The restaurant had been in operation for nearly six and a half years.
'It is with a sense of sadness and full hearts that we announce that we are closing our doors in Harlem on Sunday, June 15th,' the Teranga team said in a statement posted to Instagram. 'Thank you to everyone who shared a cup of Ethiopian coffee, a bottle of Bissap, a plate of hot Jollof and Suya, or a side of Kelewele with us.'
Teranga, with its focus on putting ancient African grains like fonio front and center, was a big-deal opening back in early 2019.
With his fine dining background, Thiam was best known for his work at places like the pan-African Nok by Alára in Lagos, and Brooklyn Sengalese spot Le Grand Dakar, which closed down in 2011. Shortly after Teranga's opening, former Eater NY critic Ryan Sutton hailed the bowl spot as an exciting harbinger of the future of fast-casual dining in NYC. The restaurant scooped up numerous accolades during its run, including a spot on a New York Times list of the 25 essential dishes in the city in 2021. The concept has been a precursor to other fine dining chefs remixing the lunch bowl, including Chinese spot Milu, run by Eleven Madison Park alum Connie Chung.
Teranga's Midtown location at 601 Lexington Avenue (stationed inside food hall the Hugh) remains open, and, in the goodbye post, the team hinted at more Teranga locations opening in the future. It's not clear whether another restaurant will be taking Teranga's place at the Africa Center, which has been weathering its own shifts in leadership strategy. Eater has reached out to both Teranga and the Africa Center for more information on the closure.
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