Brooklyn Center’s Jambo Africa Restaurant Plans To Expand with New Location
This story was updated on Dec. 2, 2024
A Brooklyn Center restaurant with an international following has plans for a new location, one that would double its current size.
Jambo Africa, owned by AWC Holdings LLC, is in talks to buy property from the Brooklyn Center Economic Development Authority, which owns a 1.62-acre parcel of land at 6500 Camden Ave. N., city documents revealed. That location is just north of Topgolf and west of Highway 252.
The city purchased the vacant lot in 2017 as part of a strategy to help with redevelopment at the site. City documents show the city plans to sell the property for $500,000, less than the $685,000 the city purchased the land for. The documents show that the city views the potential deal as a way to enhance its tax base and give new life to a vacant lot.
Jambo Africa first opened in Brooklyn Center in 2011. The restaurant is currently located at 1601 Freeway Blvd and has become a popular place for authentic African cuisine.
According to city documents, Jambo Africa has been looking for a new home to allow it to grow and offer a “destination location.” The documents note that Jambo Africa has grown “exponentially” since the pandemic and its current space “is not large enough to meet the needs of the customers.”
A concept plan approved last September by the Brooklyn Center City Council calls for a 5,700-square-foot restaurant and bar with approximately 1,200 square feet of outdoor patio space.
A different plan by Jambo Africa at a different location was rejected by the city council last year due to parking concerns. This new location is expected to address those concerns.
Correction: A previous version stated Jambo Africa has been at its current location since 2011. It was previously located at 6000 Shingle Creek Parkway before opening on Freeway Boulevard.
