Kismayo Kitchen Reopens Temporarily in Burlington as Operators Seek New Site

Burlington Plattsburgh, VT, October 15, 2026 —

Kismayo Kitchen, a Somali American restaurant, has reopened at 505 Riverside Avenue in Burlington, but its return to the location is temporary. The building is slated for demolition under a Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard mitigation grant buyout, and the property is to be converted to green space.

The restaurant is now operated by Anisa Mohamed, the widow of its late founder, Ahmed Omar, together with new partners Maryan and Abdirisak Maalin. The operators are searching for a permanent location within Chittenden County, according to the available information.

The reopening brings the restaurant back to its Riverside Avenue address for now, while the planned fate of the property means the operators are looking for another site. No timeline was provided for the building’s demolition, the conversion of the property to green space, or the restaurant’s move to a new location.

Further details about the grant buyout, including its value and the parties involved, were not provided. Information about when Kismayo Kitchen reopened and when it began operating under the new operators was also not available. The restaurant’s specific plans for its future location have not been announced beyond the search within Chittenden County.

For now, Kismayo Kitchen is operating at 505 Riverside Avenue as the search for a permanent site continues. The available information does not specify how long the restaurant expects to remain at the current address or whether an alternative location has been identified.

Story summarized from the original created by Melissa Pasanen on www.sevendaysvt.com, see more information here.

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