Tsegaye Gebru's background is in computers, having recently worked as a PC repair technician for Concur Technologies, a high-tech company in Redmond.

So why did Gebru decide, of all things, to open a grocery store in Lake City?

The native of Ethiopia, who moved to Seattle at age 20 to attend college, saw the need for a grocery store to cater to the area's growing international population. He also has retail experience, thanks to having worked as a teen at his parents' drugstore in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capitol.

In December, Gebru opened Lake City Grocery & Deli, located at 12348 Lake City Way. He likes the site because of its high visibility.

While his shop is small, Gebru has big dreams, with plans to add a deli later this year that specializes in foods from Eastern Africa. Someday, he hopes to also create a mini cyber-cafe, where people can come sip coffee and check their e-mail.

For now, he is content to offer a combination of American groceries and imported goods, including exotic spices, cans of mango pulp, teas from Eastern Africa, Basmati rice from the Himalayas, Ethiopian flour and tubs of Ethiopian-style spicy butter. He also sells long-distance telephone calling cards, a popular item among his international customers.

"I like to combine Ethiopian and American cultures together to make people feel comfortable," he says. "This place isn't just for East Africans, it's for everybody. You could say it's global."