Fetien Gibre-Michael and Yoseph Assefa grew up in similar circles, first as children in Ethiopia and then, after moving to Denver, in the local music scene. Gibre-Michael ran weekly reggae nights under the name Club Afrik, while Assefa participated in Colorado’s hip-hop scene.

But in the mid-2000s, food became Gibre-Michael’s focus. “At my shows, I was serving food from all over the continent, but when I did my own food, they loved it,” she said.

That meant dishes like misir, tikel gomen and lamb, chicken or beef served with simmered veggies and berbere, the spice that permeates the majority of Ethiopian cuisine.

In 2008, she opened a catering company, making dishes she’d learned from her mother growing up. Although she ran the business largely as a one-woman show, she’d occasionally call in help from family — Gibre-Michael is the oldest daughter of 12 siblings. “I was always cooking for kind of a mini-army,” she said. “My mom made large batches, but now and again she’d tag me in.”

Seven years later, she and Assefa, who she met in the music scene, opened a food truck together (Gibre-Michael believes it was the first Ethiopian truck in Denver). That was followed in 2019 by Konjo Ethiopian Food, a stall in the Edgewater Public Market, at 5505 W. 20th Ave.

On June 28, the two opened the second outpost of Konjo in Milk Market, another food hall at 1800 Wazee St., near Union Station.

Colorado is home to more than 30,000 Ethiopian immigrants, according to a study from the University of Colorado. As a result, there are a good number of Ethiopian restaurants, including well-known ones like Abyssinia, Mesob and Nile. Most of them are located along East Colfax Avenue in Denver or Aurora, where the thriving community can visit the spots without having to drive too far. But Gibre-Michael and Assefa wanted to bring the delights to a larger audience.They are now heaping plates lined with injera, the spongy, sourdough-like bread that serves both as a plate and utensil in Ethiopian cooking. Dishes are then generously topped with an array of lentil dishes, curried cabbage, seasoned spinach and a choice of protein. While many Ethiopian menus can be as long as 15 pages, Gibre-Micheal and Assefa have found a way to create a powerful, approachable and delicious menu based on crucial staples.

They also have combined inherited recipes and streamlined the often arduous process of making the many complicated dishes, developing a concept they hope will continue to grow. “We cut down on the hours without cutting flavors,” said Gibre-Michael, who is on the board of EatDenver and an advisory board member at Metro State University’s hospitality school. “We work well together.”

To supplement their already streamlined approach, Gibre-Micheal and Assefa also make breakfast burritos. Initially a COVID pivot, the burritos have become a major fixture during weekend brunch. The vegan option comes laced with turmeric rice, seasoned potatoes, gomen and red lentils.

The robust meat variety is filled with eggs seasoned with garlic, onions, jalapenos and tomatoes, house-made spiced clarified butter and the same steak that can be found on their main menu. (The burritos are also available all week at both Rise Cafe and all Colfax and Cream locations.)

Milk Market was founded in 2018 by Denver restaurateur Frank Bonanno, who filled the large space with his own food concepts. However, the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on the business, and Bonanno sold it to the hotel and restaurant operator Sage Hospitality in 2023.

In addition to Konjo, Sage recently welcomed in Lucky Bird Fried Chicken, which also has a stall at Edgewater Public Market; East3, which sells Thai, Japanese and Filipino bowls; and YumCha Noodles and Dumplings, a concept run by restaurant owner Lon Symesma.

Colin Wrenn is a freelance writer.