Community leader and restaurant owner Solomon Amare passed away over the weekend after suffering a heart attack Saturday morning.
The owner and operator of Dahlak -- an Ethiopian restaurant with locations on Germantown and Baltimore avenues -- Amare was a beloved figure to many of his patrons.
Rahel Kassa, who has waitressed at the 4708 Baltimore Ave. restaurant for five years, said Amare's kind nature partially accounted for the restaurant's popularity.
"Dahlak has been here for 20 years, and it has a loyal customer base," Kassa said. Amare always gave "a hug to every customer that [came] in and out."
She said that Amare's compassion affected his employees as well as his customers.
"He was a good friend," Kassa said. "He was like a father. He always made people smile. ... He was such a good man and a good person. He was always trying to help people to have a better life."
Community members often referred to Amare as the mayor of Baltimore Avenue for the support that he showed to the area.
He continually worked to encourage businesses to open along that street.
Roger Harman -- who co-owns Abbraccio, which is located around the corner from Dahlak -- said it is fair to credit Amare with the development of the area.
"He brought commercial activity at a time when there wasn't much," Harman said. "His being here was part of the inspiration for the others."
Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Amare came up with the idea for University City restaurants to specify a night to donate all profits to hurricane-relief organizations.
Amare recruited two other local restaurants -- including Abbraccio -- to join him in this endeavor.
Amare also worked as a chef in Penn's 1920 Commons for more than a decade, starting several years after he arrived in the United States from Ethiopia in 1981.
Amare's brother, Bebeket, said he will remember Amare for his ability to bring people together and for his dedication to his work.
Harman has been a patron of Dahlak since it first opened and knew Amare well for 20 years. He said he will remember his friend for the "sparkle in his eye."
Customers have expressed deep sadness and sympathy at the news of Amare's death, Kassa said.
"I miss him already," she said.
Amare is survived by his wife and two children.
