Chef Ali Lemma will open a location of his popular Ethiopian food stall, Ruki’s Kitchen, at Switchman Hall in Peoplestown later this year.
Some of the stall’s most popular dishes will be featured on the menu at Switchman Hall, including sega tibs with sirloin steak, asa tibs with blackened salmon, the vegetable plate with injera, and mesir (spicy red lentils in a vegan berbere stew).
While Lemma was born in metro Atlanta, he lived in Ethiopia for five years as a child. Lemma has fond memories of attending school there and spending time on his grandfather’s dairy farm. After moving back to Atlanta and graduating from Georgia State University, Lemma spent years working in banking and finance. He eventually moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a job in business development at JPMorgan Chase.
Lemma returned to Atlanta in 2021, choosing to leave corporate life behind for good. The decision led him to the kitchen, where he began cooking twists on Ethiopian dishes based on his mother’s recipes. He named the pop-up for his mother, Rukia, who goes by Ruki.
“I spent eight years in corporate America and felt like I lost my way there. I put my heart and soul into this food and I feel like people appreciate that,” Lemma said.
It’s already been a roller coaster year for Lemma. He had been operating Ruki’s Kitchen out of East Atlanta Village (EAV) food hall Qommunity for the last two years. Ruki’s Kitchen shuttered in late February following the abrupt closure of We Suki Suki and Qommunity by owner Quynh “Q “ Trinh. The chaotic circumstances surrounding the closure and Trinh’s actions left Lemma and Tony’s Chicago Beef owner Tony Kerr evicted without notice.
Both chefs have since landed residencies elsewhere in Atlanta. Until Ruki’s Kitchen opens at Switchman Hall, people can find it popping up at ToneArm listening bar in Decatur, every Thursday through Saturday, and at the Punk Foodie stall at Ponce City Market on Sundays.
Switchman Hall takes over two former warehouses on the Terminal South property in Peoplestown and will feature 18 food stalls. Ruki’s Kitchen joins Everyday People Caffeine and Cocktails, Saint Jawns, Te Quiero Tacos, Tiger K Cup Bob, Sabu K Ramen, Southern Grace, The Original Hot Dog Factory, and Life Bistro at Switchman Hall. Two full-service restaurants will also open at Terminal South, including Pur Zen Mimosa Wine Bar.
Terminal South broke ground earlier in February and should open this fall. The redevelopment project is the last stop on MARTA’s rapid bus transit (BRT) expansion stretching from Downtown to Peoplestown near the Southside Beltline trail.