T hough many have accused residents of Cairo’s upscale neighborhood Zamalek of ignoring the on-goings of the revolution, filling up coffee shops and restaurants, one must confess that it’s been interesting to watch wealthier Egyptians attempt to get back enjoying nights out.
Zamalek’s location serves as a central gathering spot for Cairenes. The island offers a plethora of outlets, and on any given night, most are at full capacity as people make the most of a nightlife that has been severely hampered by the midnight curfew.
It is also an appropriate gauge of how young business owners are reacting to the current political climate.
It was customary for Egyptians to start an evening with dinner at 10 pm, and head back home at 1 or 2 am. Today, people coordinate meetings and dinners starting as early as 5 pm, a reality that many would have scoffed at months earlier.
Interestingly enough as people change their personal habits, restaurants and bars across the city have had to reassess and change some of their business practices.
Amici, a new bar which, since opening last December, has become quite popular, thrived during the revolution.
“Like any other business we closed from Jan. 28 until Feb. 3, when things weren’t safe,” says Rawy Rizk, one of the owners of Amici.
“It wasn’t safe for our clients, staff or place to be open on those days.
However, after that we opened on Feb. 4 and started adapting our opening hours to the curfew. People started coming for lunch and it was a great opportunity for people to try our kitchen and see that we also serve good food and that Amici can be a place to have a proper lunch or dinner. We’ve been open for lunch ever since,” he said.
So popular during the revolution, CNN caught wind of Amici’s activities and recently filmed a piece on the venue, dubbing it as “Bar of the Revolution,” a moment of recognition, said Rizk, that came due to the collective sense of purpose that he and his employees had about their new bar.
“Not everyone wanted to take the risk of opening their place during these times but I wanted to take the risk of opening up. It was about time to move on and give the people a hangout where they can change their mood and look forward to doing something different after spending some time at home.
“I received a phone call from CNN [telling] me that they have heard a lot about the place, and people have been heading to Amici almost daily for a change. As a team we were more than proud to [have] this success of recognition in such a short time after our opening. The sense of family that runs amongst us is at the core of our success.”
No revolution party was deemed more successful than the celebratory night held at Amici on Feb. 11, breaking curfew as the rest of Cairo erupted into one big neighborhood block party celebrating the fall of president Hosni Mubarak.
Yet, like any other establishment that opened during the revolution, they did face criticism.
“People criticized me for opening during the revolution, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t for the revolution. Almost all of our clients supported our move and were positive about it. Very few disagreed thinking we weren’t aware of the situation, but I think they didn’t grasp that we support over 30 families and our opening was [not just] for our clients but for our staff,” he said.
Nola Cupcakes caused quite a stir when it reopened, not just because the golden boy of the hour, Al Jazeera English Egypt’s correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin tweeted about them, but because some considered it an inappropriate time to be enjoying cupcakes.
Laila Sedky, one of Nola Cupcakes’ owners, was an active participant in the revolution, protesting in Tahrir on a regular basis yet also concerned with her business and her employees.
“At the end of the day Nola is my baby, it wouldn’t make sense to stop a business because of different political affairs in the country, my responsibility is towards my employees as well as all the Nola fans who come in daily for their sugar dose,” explained Sedky.
Yet, Nola Cupcakes too received criticism upon reopening when Sedky felt it was safe for both the store and her employees.
“We received mixed reviews when we reopened. We chose to make Freedom Cupcakes, which had the Egyptian flag on them, as it was our way of supporting our country and showing how proud we were of the Egyptian people. Of course, there were some people who saw it as a move to capitalize on the revolution, but as you can see that has actually now become the trend, when at the time we chose to express ourselves through our product.
"Regardless in any business you can never please everyone and this is something we’re ok with,” she said.
Whereas dessert items deemed a luxury still have a market in Egypt, it is nighttime establishments like Tamarai that are facing difficult questions as patrons come back once again to dine, drink and dance.
Thugs attempted to break into Tamarai during the revolution yet minimal damage took place to its ground entrance. Its reopening was successful as loyal patrons descended on it with fervor.
Tamarai faced multiple difficulties; its location on the Maspero Corniche was both a physical obstacle and a concern over safety.
Yet, the owners are setting their sights on moving forward, trying to emphasize their initial concept of this popular nightspot which was to be a dining destination and a lounge for after work drinks during weekdays.
“We sincerely hope that this is just a phase that we all have to survive until security measures are taken throughout the country. Until then, we are trying our best to attract our guests through our [tailor made] events,” says Ayman Baky, one of Tamarai’s owners.
Nostalgia, an event now held every Tuesday playing music from the 80s and 90s, drew what could be deemed as a somber crowd on opening night, which quickly changed its mood when the music picked up and the crowd swelled, trying to pack in a night of dancing and laughs before Tamarai closed at 11 pm.
With people now worrying about nighttime culture in the wake of a more conservative take over of politics, Baky says this industry in Egypt could be dramatically altered.
“It all depends on the political status of the country. If things go in a more positive direction, I believe the whole industry will grow vastly. If our political status is headed in a more conservative direction, I think we will bleed.”
Ask many Egyptians including Baky what they think might be the outcome of it all and their reply is one of tenacity. “We are already suffering to some extent. However, we still think we are on survival mode until the country begins to see some light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
