>>> ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIAN ORIGIN LIVE IN CHICAGO.

A NUMBER THAT HAS INCREASED OVER THE YEARS AS POLITICAL TURMOIL ROILED THE EAST AFRICAN REGION.

ABOUT 60% OF THEM LIVE IN THE UPTOWN EDGEWATER AREA ON THE CITY'S NORTH SIDE, MAKING THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE PLACE TO GO FOR ETHIOPIAN FOOD.

CHEF AND OWNER OFFERS A TASTE OF HER HOME COUNTRY FOR SCENE, AND NOW SHE'S COOKING UP RELIEF FOR THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA TOO.

IT IS ERIKA GUNDERSON HAD THE SCOOP.

>> THE SPICES ARE, I WOULDN'T SAY SO SPICY, BUT IT'S ALSO SEASON WELL.

AND IT HAS A LOT OF CARD AMONG, CAYENNE PEPPER, CINNAMON, THAT NATURE.

>> Reporter: ON A BUSY CORNER IN THE UPTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD, THE RESTAURANT HAS BEEN INTRODUCING CHICAGOANS TO ETHIOPIAN CUISINE SINCE 2007.

>> AND WHAT I'M GOING TO BE -- SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE -- WE USE OUR HAND OR THE SPICES.

BUT IN OUR RESTAURANT, IT'S THE MOST POPULAR ONE, AND COMMON ONE, WHICH IS, LIKE, YOU GET A TASTE OF THE MENU WITH THREE VEGGIES AND STREAMING PRINT >> BEFORE OPENING THE RESTAURANT, THE CHEF AND OWNER SAID SHE HAD SOME PROFESSIONAL HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE, MOST OF HER COOKING EXPERTISE WAS HOMEMADE.

>> I GOT A NUMBER SEVEN OF 11.

AND WE HAVE TWENTYSOMETHING PEOPLE LIVE IN ONE HOUSE.

SO WE ALWAYS COOKED, AND THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING GOOD.

A LOT OF PEOPLE AT HOME, AND MY FORMER HUSBAND AT THE TIME SAID WE SHOULD OPEN A RESTAURANT.

THE PLACE WAS AVAILABLE, AND SIX MONTHS LATER, WE WERE OPEN.

>> Reporter: SHE SAYS THE PANDEMIC TESTED THE RESTAURANT, EDITED ALL CHICAGO RESTAURANTS.

BUT SHE SAID IT ALSO INSPIRED HER TO DO MORE HUMANITARIAN WORK WITH HER PLATFORM.

>> I THINK SOMETHING GOOD CAME OUT OF IT, WHERE MENTAL HEALTH BECAME MORE IMPORTANT, THE WAY WE DO THINGS BECAME MORE MINDFUL.

ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT, IT WAS A HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT AS WELL.

>> SINCE WAR BEGAN IN THE REGION OF ETHIOPIA IN 2020, SHE HAS PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF FUNDRAISING EVENTS FOR VARIOUS CAUSES, SOMETHING SHE SAYS SHE PLANS TO CONTINUE DOING IN THE FUTURE.

>> IT'S BEEN A WAY OF -- ONE, WE'RE MAKING AWARENESS.

TO BECOME A BETTER TEAM.

WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED.

AND WHEN THE WAR HAPPENED, WHAT I KNOW IS TO COOK.

AND FEED PEOPLE.

AND I WANTED TO USE THAT AND SUPPORT OTHERS THAT ARE IN NEED.

SUPPORT PEOPLE, AND TO DO WHAT I LOVE AND HAVE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER LIFE.

>> Reporter: FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES, THIS IS ERIKA GUNDERSON.

>>> IN ADDITION TO THE UPTOWN LOCATION, IT RECENTLY OPENED A TIME-OUT MARKET, AND IS PLANNING A BROWNSVILLE LOCATION FOR 2025.

ALSO ONE OF FIVE WOMEN CHEFS PARTICIPATING IN THE FUNDRAISING POP-UP A NIGHT OF HOPE, BENEFITING 600 CHILDREN