Sarah Guirguis When it comes to summer brunches, beach parties and fancy dining, we all know Baky Hospitality never disappoints. Here is a rundown of our favorite spots that we don’t want you to miss. While so many restaurants and bars are finally reopening, some of us are still quarantined at home. If that’s you, fear not. There are delivery and take-out options just for you. More than that, we also talked to the founder, Ayman Baky, for an exclusive on the behind-the-scenes and the creative mindset that goes into running this business.
Tell us a bit about yourself, for those who don’t know you. How did Baky Hospitality come about?
I came to Egypt when I was sixteen years old. I used to live abroad with my parents. I studied Mass Communications at the American University in Cairo and minored in Economics, graduating in 1996. I started my first job in Orascom. In 2001, I became a marketing manager for Sony Music International, when they opened new headquarters in the Middle East. While working for both Orascom and Sony, I was also an event organizer. Around the age of 27, I decided I don’t want to do events anymore and I was hesitant about how to go about my future. I wanted to own my own bar. I had the opportunity to partner with Nicha Sursock, who was actually a legendary chef in the food & beverage industry. He called me up, told me he’s opening a small bar in Zamalek and asked me to be a part of it. I said I’d love to and I decided to leave Sony to focus on that new project. It was called White and was established in 2003. I worked there for a year but things didn’t work out with the other partners, then I decided to partner again with Nicha in his original restaurant, L’Aubergine. It was a small, old-style, scruffy bar and we took it to the next level and turned it into a French bistro concept. After that, I got married and got my first daughter in 2007. Then, I got offered a marketing director job at Virgin Megastore and I decided to take it alongside L’Aubergine. I stayed with them for two years and then I met Ahmed Beltagy and we ended up opening Tamarai at Nile City Towers. The revolution hit us pretty hard in 2011 and we had to really think outside the box to make this place work. Tamarai was a big name in the market back then and I definitely learned a lot from this experience, not to mention that it helped me build a name in the industry.
In 2013, I decided I didn’t want to work in the nightlife industry anymore. I wanted to drift more towards food and beverage. I felt like I could do it on my own, as well, so I left and set up Baky Hospitality. The revolution had hit me hard personally and I had made some bad investments in Dubai and Greece, and lost a lot of money, so I wanted a fresh start, from the ground up. I think I was 38 at the time. I saw how the nightlife industry wasn’t very sustainable. Its life cycle is short because it depends on a temporary trend. The F&B industry is more creative in terms of dishes. It was also hectic working till 4 or 5 in the morning, while dealing with people who are only drinking the whole time; no one wanted to eat. I was also very religious then and I felt my calling was to do something more laidback, which better reflected my character, my beliefs and my family’s image. So, I took a small bank loan and we took on Sachi in Heliopolis. It was actually a small storage area that we revamped and licensed. The name Sachi is a merge between my children’s names – Sasha and Chris. It means ‘child of joy’ in Japanese and so it suited me because they are my joy in life. I put a great amount of effort into it and I was only targeting Heliopolis residents at the time; I never thought in a million years that we’ll find people coming from all over Cairo to dine in Heliopolis. It certainly took us to another level and opportunities began opening up. I was talking to a university buddy, Mohamed Allam, and he had Swan Lake in New Cairo, where he wanted to open a clubhouse. I told him I actually wanted to do something more upscale and exotic – something that the market needs. I suggested we go for something like the Japanese restaurant, Nobu in Mykonos, and that’s how we now have Kazuko. We got fully booked the second day after launching and we’ve been fully booked ever since. Because of this sudden success, I was approached by Hacienda in the North Coast to take over Omar Rateb’s beach bar. I had looked up to him since I was a kid because he had a knack for selection, quality of guests and mood. I signed off on Sachi by the Sea with Hacienda in 2016. After that, we were inspired to make use of a lounge area in front of Kazoku, and we turned into a sophisticated, upscale bar – known as Shinko. After that, I was approached by Emad El Hazek to do a concept in LakeHouse. I recommended we should go for a proper Italian restaurant and that’s how Lexie’s came about.
How do you create a work culture that drives success in this field?
The most important part of my career journey was creating a team that carried the culture of a real family. It’s a corporate structure but the way we treat each other is very much like a family. A lot of employees at our headquarters are very loyal and have been with me since my days at Tamarai, and even at L’Aubergine and White. There’s no secret formula that drives success. It really comes from the heart. It’s the character and the charisma. It’s the experience and the decisions to remain humble, avoid being greedy and being wise in taking baby steps towards growth. It’s also the genuine love you treat people with and making them see their part in this success story because it’s definitely not just mine. The new employees who come in notice the loyalty and the vision in our work culture and it becomes contagious because they start envisioning themselves growing as well. Of course, the financial aspect is very important but the human development within the organization is very important to me.
What are the biggest challenges people face in the hospitality industry?
Definitely, the supply chain – trying to get good quality raw material in this country is pretty difficult. Staffing is also difficult – we have stopped hiring top-tier managers. Our new staff start at the bottom and work their way up in order to learn our culture. They get promoted as they grow, and they begin taking on other restaurants, the more we expand.
Do you have any plans to expand further?
The only thing I can reveal currently is that we’re opening the biggest restaurant in Baky Hospitality history soon – Sachi Park St. We’re very excited about it, and we’ve combined everything we’ve gained from seven years of experience and effort and invested it into this project – in terms of food, drinks, design, music, and quality of speakers, furniture and lighting. We have consultants working with us from Lebanon, Dubai and Singapore, so we have big expectations for it.
How do you manage quality maintenance across each restaurant and bar?
We work with a lot of consultants from abroad to give us advice on how to keep moving forward. We also have an F&B department and the members are responsible for every brand under Baky Hospitality. Our managers and chefs are also on top of everything all the time. They’ve been in the company for years and they have developed in their style of cooking, in paperwork and their discipline towards company rules. In the beginning, there were hiccups, of course, but we learn and it works through a lot of organization and trust.
What are the keys that you believe attract young people?
I think going out in Egypt has changed so much over the years, especially since ten years ago. The crowd that we have now has travelled a lot; they’ve seen the standards at other restaurants abroad and they compare the quality. Back in the day, people accepted whatever they had but the young generation of today is analytical and understands exactly what they want. We try our best to meet their expectations in terms of service, food, setup and music. The hospitality element we bring is also about the experience you get when you walk into our restaurants, not just the food. That includes the entrance, how you’re greeted and welcomed, how you’re seated and how we serve you. Like I said, we also depend on our consultants from abroad to help us upgrade everything we do.
Sachi Restaurant, Heliopolis
If you’re staying in the city this season, this is possibly one of the best places to go with family or friends for a memorable, fancy meal. Following strict precautionary measures to ensure guest safety, the restaurant remains spirited, offering you its usual jovial vibe. On another happy note, you can also look forward to the launch of their brand new branch in the heart of Sheikh Zayed.
Sachi by the Sea
We thought this Sachi branch deserved its own slot on the list because it is way too special. This is hands-down among the first-rate nightspots you’ll come across in the North Coast. Providing seasonal fine dining and bar service, Sachi by the Sea is where you want to be if you’re looking for elegant parties and one of the best experiences Sahel has to offer. Make sure to keep tabs on their social media to find out the musicians and singers they will be featuring every week.
Lexie’s
Most of us have tried several Italian places in Egypt but if you haven’t been to Lexie’s, you haven’t tried real Italian. It’s on a whole new level. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it is the type of food that will hug your soul. You can enjoy a beautiful view from their terrace or a romantic, cultural ambience indoors. With that said, we would definitely recommend it for two main scenarios – date night and brunch with friends.
Kazoku
Kazuko is for those who are willing to try something new. For the sake of the slightest hint of adventure in 2020, we encourage you to try out their delectable Japanese cuisine. The dining experience is unrivaled – not only because of the cultured DJs that keep showing up, but also because you can’t deny the contemporary, exotic edge that makes this place stand out glamorously in the hospitality scene in Egypt.
