Opened in 1997, the restaurant quickly became a favorite amongst West African men craving the familiar tastes from their countries. Owned and operated by a group of Ivorien cab drivers, Ivoire established itself as a fast and cheap way of filling ones belly with freshly cooked food.Ivoire has always been open 24 hours a day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, to accommodate the many truck and cab drivers looking for a late night meal. Cisse diversified the clientele by adding deliveries to the nearby North General Hospital and many hair braiding salons in the surrounding vicinities.