Kaya Restaurant

Redefining Hospitality with Heart, Design & Community

Hospitality Innovation & Sustainable Brand Design

Project Overview

As a co-owner and design lead of Kaya Restaurant (Cairo, Egypt), I spent 5 years shaping a brand that blends culinary excellence, conscious design, and heartfelt hospitality. From intimate interior experiences to engaging digital moments, my work brought Kaya to life, inside the restaurant and across its growing online community.

This wasn’t just about food it was about building a brand that people returned to, believed in, and shared.

Space & Interior Transformation

Led the full interior and furniture design crafting a space that felt warm, modern, and deeply rooted in local culture. I focused on layout efficiency, sensory experience, and materials that tell a story.

Impact:

Increased annual revenue by $100K through improved layout and optimized seating capacity
Boosted customer satisfaction through thoughtful spatial flow and aesthetics
Drove organic user-generated content from delighted guests

Restaurant interior

Bar interior

Menus, Marketing & Brand System

Led all brand identity, print/digital design, and marketing strategy. This included:

Logo design, typography, and brand guidelines
Menu systems with seasonal rotation (designed + strategized)
Food styling and art direction for social content

Results:

15% increase in sales through seasonal menus tailored to customer taste
12% more orders via visually-driven food campaigns on Instagram
Positioned Kaya as a go-to venue for events, with growing influencer and corporate bookings

Social Media Content

Restaurant interior

Bar interior

Sustainable Practices

Integrated eco-conscious design from front-of-house to operations:

50% of furnishings were made from recycled or locally sourced materials
Reduced energy consumption by 10% through lighting and kitchen upgrades
Built an inventory system that reduced food waste and enabled regular donations

Why it matters:
Design choices directly contributed to lower overhead costs and positive brand reputation among eco-minded diners.

Menus, Marketing & Brand System

Led all brand identity, print/digital design, and marketing strategy. This included:

Logo design, typography, and brand guidelines
Menu systems with seasonal rotation (designed + strategized)
Food styling and art direction for social content

Results:

15% increase in sales through seasonal menus tailored to customer taste
12% more orders via visually-driven food campaigns on Instagram
Positioned Kaya as a go-to venue for events, with growing influencer and corporate bookings

Menus, Marketing & Brand System

Led all brand identity, print/digital design, and marketing strategy. This included:

Logo design, typography, and brand guidelines
Menu systems with seasonal rotation (designed + strategized)
Food styling and art direction for social content

Results:

15% increase in sales through seasonal menus tailored to customer taste
12% more orders via visually-driven food campaigns on Instagram
Positioned Kaya as a go-to venue for events, with growing influencer and corporate bookings

Social Media Content

Social Media Content

Design Guidelines

Typography

Logo

Community Engagement & Events

Built Kaya’s presence as a lifestyle and community hub, not just a restaurant.

Hosted branded events and influencer tastings
Ran workshops for staff to elevate service delivery and customer retention
Used social media to create a story not just promotions about food, people, and values

Impact:

Strengthened community loyalty and return visits
Created lasting brand awareness far beyond the restaurant walls

Logo

Community Engagement & Events

Built Kaya’s presence as a lifestyle and community hub, not just a restaurant.

Hosted branded events and influencer tastings
Ran workshops for staff to elevate service delivery and customer retention
Used social media to create a story not just promotions about food, people, and values

Impact:

Strengthened community loyalty and return visits
Created lasting brand awareness far beyond the restaurant walls

Community Engagement & Events

Built Kaya’s presence as a lifestyle and community hub, not just a restaurant.

Hosted branded events and influencer tastings
Ran workshops for staff to elevate service delivery and customer retention
Used social media to create a story not just promotions about food, people, and values

Impact:

Strengthened community loyalty and return visits
Created lasting brand awareness far beyond the restaurant walls

Social Media Influencers Event at Kaya

Social Media Influencers Event at Kaya

Why This Project Matters

Kaya wasn’t just my restaurant it was my creative playground and real-world design lab. Every design decision had a ripple effect: on profits, on people, and on purpose.

This project taught me how great design builds businesses not only through beauty, but through systems, stories, and sustainability.