JESSE HOFFMANN, CONTRIBUTOR

The locally owned Steak-N-Egg restaurant will be celebrating its decision to not close or relocate by hosting its first annual neighborhood fair this Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Breakfast and lunch will be served alongside entertainment from the American University radio station (WVAU). The fair will feature free giveaways as well as special offers from local retailers such as TD Bank, Sport and Health Fitness, Greenberry’s Coffee, Pepsi Co., and many more.

To add to the fun, there will be taste testing as well as chances to win free apparel and meals from Steak-N-Egg. There will also be a raffle for the new sign, which will cost $10 per ticket. Profits will be donated to the D.C. Food Bank. To top it off, the Steak-N-Egg owners will reveal their expansion plans at the fair.

Osman Barrie started the business with Joe Vamboi in 1998. Both men are originally from Sierra Leone and ended up in the U.S. due to conflict at home. Osman had been working at the original Steak-N-Egg, a chain restaurant, and had become Regional Store Manager, handling all eight stores. When the original restaurant closed down in 1998 due to financial problems, Osman decided to start his own diner in Maryland. The same year, Vamboi bought the current Wisconsin location and asked Osman to come run the new Steak-N-Egg in the heart of Tenleytown.

Despite recent talks of relocation, Osman and his new partner, Debra Payne, decided to instead undergo renovations that include expanding into the property next door. Payne expects the renovations to be done by early spring or late summer of 2016. In addition, Steak-N-Egg will be coming out with a new website and logo in the near future.

Payne says she is “bursting with excitement” about the new changes and greatly appreciates the customers’ loyalty.