Meet Alex Yohannes: A Passionate Rancher in Haymarket, Virginia
By Faisale Shefawe
Updated on 04/02/25
When Alex Yohannes arrived in the U.S. from Ethiopia in 1986, he never imagined he would one day own a ranch just fifty minutes from the nation’s capital. At the time, as a high school dropout from Menelik II School in Addis Ababa, he had no idea he would go on to start several successful businesses.
However, Alex was not a high school dropout for long. Shortly after settling in New York, he resumed his education at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx. After graduating, he moved to Boston to study mechanical engineering in college.
His college journey, however, was short-lived. After six months, Alex realized he wasn’t suited for the intense regulations and restrictions required in the airline industry. He left college and got his first taste of independence by driving a taxi in Boston.
For four years, Alex drove a taxi before moving to Washington, D.C., in 2000. With the money he had saved, he purchased an Amoco gas station—now BP. While managing the station, he observed how lucrative liquor stores were in the area.
In 2005, just before the real estate crisis, Alex received an attractive offer for his gas station and decided to sell it. He took a two-year break before finally fulfilling his next dream—owning a liquor store. Using the proceeds from the gas station sale, he purchased a liquor store on 14th Street in Columbia Heights.
Alex successfully ran the liquor store for five years. But as D.C. changed, so did he. In 2012, he sold the liquor store and moved to Virginia to explore a new business venture.
That same year, Alex officially entered the restaurant industry, opening an Ethiopian restaurant called Mesob in Herndon, Virginia. “The restaurant business is great but exhausting,” Alex admitted. “You need to know what you’re doing.”
He enjoyed running the restaurant until COVID-19 changed everything in 2019. Many of his regular customers—office workers who dined during lunch and dinner hours—began working from home. This group accounted for over fifty percent of his revenue.
In 2020, Alex sold the restaurant and purchased a 10-acre farm in Haymarket, Virginia, just fifty minutes from Washington, D.C. His vision was to create a ranch that would sell fresh beef, lamb, and goats directly to consumers. He named it Abraha Farm.
Alex's favorite goat. “Nobody told me to try this business—I just love taking on new challenges,” Alex said. “And so far, it has worked well for me.
His farm quickly gained popularity, particularly among Ethiopians and Eritreans who uphold a tradition of purchasing and dividing whole beef, lambs, or goats in groups. This custom, common back home, allows families, friends, and neighbors to pool money together, making fresh meat more affordable while reducing waste.
When it’s not fasting season, every weekend at Abraha Farm is bustling with customers purchasing fresh meat for holidays, graduations, weddings, and other special occasions. With Easter approaching in a few weeks, Alex expects to slaughter between 30 and 35 cattle. On a regular weekend, his farm sells between five and six.
“Every weekend feels like a party here,” Alex said with a smile. “People drink honey wine and listen to music while waiting for their orders. I love it.”
Looking ahead, Alex hopes to expand the business. He envisions Abraha Farm not just as a place to buy fresh meat, but also as a destination where people can enjoy the scenic views and natural ponds. He is also optimistic that his two children, aged 18 and 20, might take an interest in the business. One of them, currently studying business, could potentially transform it into something even bigger than he ever imagined.
