Zweli's expands with American Tobacco Campus location

A popular Durham restaurant is expanding with a new location at American Tobacco Campus.

“Ekhaya in Bantu is more than a word, it is a feeling, a sense of being ‘at home’ wherever you are,” Chef Zweli Williams said. ”These feelings of comfort, support and familiarity are what we strive to bring to each diner via our menu and dining experience. Whether it is something brand new or a new take on something familiar, we want each and every visitor to leave our restaurant feeling as if they have returned home.”

Zweli and her husband Leonardo “Leo” Williams also own and operate Zweli's Piri Piri Kitchen at 4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. and Zweli's Cafe at Duke University's Divinity School. The couple plan to go to Zimbabwe next month to work on the Ekhaya concept.

Zweli grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where she started her culinary interest by learning to prepare dishes with the variety of ingredients available. Following high school, she moved to the United States and attended school at North Carolina Central University, where she met Leo Williams. Williams was the head drum major for the NCCU marching band and later became a Durham Public Schools teacher and administrator. In his educational career, he was named "Teacher of the Year."

After not being able to find a restaurant that served dishes from Zimbabwe, Zweli was inspired to open her own restaurant. Though they were turned down for loans, the couple used Williams' retirement money and funds from Zweli's parents to open Zweli's Piri Piri Kitchen in 2018.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple worked with other local, small business owners to raise more than $3 million for a fund to help keep those businesses open.

The couple has coordinated nearly 100,000 meals pre-pandemic and post-pandemic to serve the displaced, elderly and the homeless.

“We’ve had the very fortunate opportunity to work with dozens and dozens of restaurateurs and thousands of entrepreneurs at the American Tobacco Campus and American Underground,” says Adam Klein, director, American Tobacco Campus. “Zweli and Leo represent the best of Durham. They are creative, committed, caring, and, most importantly, community-focused. We’re honored that they chose to share their journey with us and take part in ours.”

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