Young woman’s journey from university dropout to starting popular city café

In the leafy suburb of Kilimani, Nairobi, a 23-year-old is making waves in the restaurant industry.

Bahja Alinoor has transformed her passion for coffee and community into a thriving and popular business.

Bahja, the youngest of nine children, was born and raised in Nairobi and now owns and maintains Canopy Cafe on Wood Avenue, in Kilimani.

After completing her high school education, she attended university but dropped out after realising it was no longer her passion.

Her interest in coffee and community gatherings led her to the idea of starting a café. She was an outgoing person who always wanted to be around people pushing her to open a restaurant.

However, the restaurant industry being mostly owned and managed by men was a significant obstacle. According to her, finding a Muslim woman in this business was nearly impossible. Most women her age typically pursued other ventures like cosmetics, salons, or clothing shops.

Nonetheless, her passion for coffee and her desire to be around people was much stronger.

"The only way I could be around coffee and people was by starting a café," Bahja said.

She conceived the idea for the coffee shop when she was 14 years old, but it only became a reality after she dropped out of university to focus on her business.

"It was when I was 19 when I started mapping and looking for a space, I was struggling at the university," Bahja noted.

Popular with youth

Canopy Café opened its doors on November 20, 2022, and quickly gained popularity, particularly among the youth.

Today, it serves hundreds of customers daily mostly youth and women who are attracted to the ambience of the restaurant.

The café is known for its unique taste and inviting aroma, attracting customers from all corners of Nairobi.

People from Eastleigh are popular customers. They not only go to Canopy to enjoy the food but also to socialise and spend time with their loved ones.

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Bahja named the café Canopy to symbolise a safe space for women and young girls to relax and feel secure.

Reflecting this vision, the café is predominantly run by women, from cashiers to waitstaff and top management.

The café offers a variety of dishes, focusing on brunch and light bites, as well as breakfast, lunch, and early dinner options.

Bahja also plans to introduce Somali cuisine to the menu, starting with camel tea, and eventually including dishes like dailo, kostato, and aleso.

"We shall be introducing Somali rice and hilib (meat) very soon," she noted.

She draws inspiration from her parents, who instilled in her a strong work ethic. On days when she feels low, she stays home, prays, and connects with her creator, a practice she learned from her parents.

"If I am feeling burnt out, I also go to a mosque. That is the only way I could talk to my creator," she said.

To gain more experience, Bahja visits other restaurants on her days off to observe their operations and offerings. This continuous learning helps her innovate and keep Canopy Café attractive to its customers.

Bahja's journey from university dropout to successful café owner acts as an inspiration to many young women, particularly Somali women who make up a large portion of her daily client base.

"As a woman running a male-dominated business, I had to break a lot of stereotypes," says Bahja.

Her dedication to creating a safe and welcoming space reflects her commitment to community and empowerment.

As Canopy Café continues to thrive, Bahja remains focused on her goals. She aims to expand her menu and attract even more customers.

Her passion for coffee and community, combined with her hard work and resilience, has turned her dream into reality.

With Canopy Cafe's success, she is putting the finishing touches on another restaurant in Gigiri, which she says will open soon.

Bahja is also a content creator, and she has a huge following on Tiktok where she mostly shares videos on how she manages Canopy and her daily experiences. She has over 12,600 followers on the popular social media platform. This is where she also gets feedback from her customers.

Most of her videos become viral, especially when she discusses how she controls Canopy, with some receiving over 200,000 views. Bahja aspires to expand this business and establish a chain of restaurants that serve high-quality, flavourful, and unique cuisine.