Markos Regassa didn’t come to Madison to cook, and he has no formal training as a chef. But he spoke the language of food in the same way most of us do—to say thank you or I appreciate you; my partner would argue it’s the best way to say I love you. In a way, Markos learning to cook was Markos learning his favorite way to speak to his community.

The year was 1992, and Markos “was a recent graduate from the UW–Madison School of Business.” He says, “Buraka started at the Library Mall as a food cart. I thought I could do this for a couple years then move on to something else. … I didn’t know I had the passion to cook.”

That first year, Markos learned the food cart didn’t provide enough space for him to prep and keep the cart open for the entire lunch rush, let alone all day. If he was going to last past the first hour of opening, he needed a kitchen to serve as a sort of base of operations. This eventually came in the form of a second Buraka food truck on Butler Street, which struggled as a takeout operation.

Markos would be one of the first to say that the first years of opening a business are some of the most difficult, but for himself, he trusted his strong work ethic and business education would pay off. “It wasn’t easy because I didn’t have the experience. Those days, you couldn’t get information on opening a restaurant or where to buy things. I had no clue. … This was the era of the yellow page.” He knew that if he could just get his food in front of people, they would try it and love it, so along with his Library Mall location, Markos also chased festivals.

What’s grown to become Buraka’s most popular dish is the dorowot: a stew with chicken and carrots slowly cooked in berbere-spiked red sauce. Berbere is a key spice mix in Ethiopian cooking—a mix of red chili peppers, coriander, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and other like ingredients. As with every Ethiopian household, Markos’ blend of berbere is his own.

After eight years of running his first food cart, Markos opened a brick-and-mortar space on State Street and Francis. Being downtown meant many of his university customers didn’t have to travel far to his new location, and the uniqueness of being a basement restaurant had its own appeal for 13 years; however, when the landowner decided to develop the building, it was time for Markos to move on.

Which brings us to Buraka’s current location, 1210 Williamson Street—the old Jolly Bob’s. “It used to be much darker in here,” says Markos. “We opened up the front. We opened up the path to the outside. … I had a very good architect—a very good friend. He helped me with the restaurant on State Street, as well.”

At each Buraka location, Markos has always had a strong sense of community, which is why some of the evolutions of his dishes have incorporated customer feedback. With food that’s traditionally spicy came an obvious alteration, putting punchy sauces on the side, but serving dishes with rice was an idea that wouldn’t have otherwise crossed his mind. The funny thing is, according to Markos, rice is now part of an Ethiopian diet, but when he was growing up, it just wasn’t common.

Instead of rice, dishes are traditionally served with injera: a texturally spongy sour flatbread made from teff flour. The bread works as a sort of spoon; diners tear off pieces of the injera and use it to scoop up their entrées. On that note, another accommodation Markos incorporated into his restaurant is forks.

After over 32 years in the food business, Markos’ understanding of how interconnected Buraka’s success is to the surrounding neighborhoods is stronger than most. “The community has supported me all the way from the street to the restaurant. I am very, very thankful for my community. … I love my customers. I love what I’m doing. I love my good employees. I can’t run this business by myself.”

It’s come to the point where Markos’ customers include the next generation of students from families he’d serve so many years ago. It’s also common for customers who have moved to other cities for life and work to stop by when they’re in the area. On just how important these lifelong connections are to Markos, he succinctly says, “It warms my heart.”

And those feelings have proven to go both ways. Even the décor itself reflects the community’s appreciation for Buraka. The walls are covered with pieces people have given to Markos or that he has bought himself from all over Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, and Mozambique. From the tree of life tapestry to the hand-carved mask, each piece adds a touch of authenticity to the experience as well as a breath of culture.

There’s also the rich aroma from a French-pressed cup of Ethiopian coffee that’s strong enough to transport someone across the Atlantic. Pair that with a few lentil samosas marinated in Ethiopian spices, and you’ll start to feel like you’re not in Madison anymore.

It’s been a long and ongoing journey. Through the ups and downs, Markos says, “There’s no textbook that prepares you for day-to-day life.” When he started Buraka, there was an aspect of winging it, but the lure of opportunity and a youthful enthusiasm were enough to hold his attention for decades. He’s come to an understanding that people have a misconception when they start a business that they’ll be their own boss; he, instead, feels beholden to everyone who comes through his doors: his employees and his customers. This mindset has allowed him to take a step back, see his place in the community, and determine if what he’s doing is paying off. “I measure my success by how many people I make happy on a daily basis—how many people come and eat and sit around and laugh. That’s what makes me happy. … Thank you, Greater Madison community, for your continued support.”

Kyle Jacobson is a writer who believes that if you don’t live to learn, you won’t learn to live.
Photographs by Eric Tadsen.

Buraka
1210 Williamson Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 286-1448
buraka-madison.com