By ELLE
There are places you visit once, and then there are places that become part of your summer routine. KIKI’S Beach has always been the latter.
Ten years ago, when Egypt’s North Coast was still figuring out what its summer social scene could look like, KIKI’S opened in Hacienda White. Since then, it has become synonymous with the Sahel summer: beach days that turn into long lunches, sunset drinks that stretch into dinner, and Friday nights that have a habit of going much later than planned.
This summer, KIKI’S celebrates its tenth anniversary, marking not only a decade of one of Sahel’s most familiar destinations, but the evolution of the gnk Group alongside it.
IT STARTED WITH KIKI’S
Founded in 2016 by Ahmed El Ganzoury and Kareem Nabil, gnk Group has come a long way from its original team of eight. Today, with around 700 people, the group has grown from its roots in events, production and entertainment into a wider world of restaurants, hospitality, residences and destinations.
But the spirit behind it has stayed remarkably consistent: create places people actually want to be in.
KIKI’S was an early example of that instinct. Its appeal was never limited to the beach. The destination built a rhythm around the entire day, with food, music, friends and late nights all part of the experience. Its Friday nights became a Sahel staple, international DJs kept the energy high, and KIKI’S Friends gave regulars another reason to return season after season. And return they did.
ONE DAY. MANY MOODS.
So, how do you experience the gnk universe in one Sahel weekend? Enter The GNK Route.
The idea is simple: follow the day and let the mood change with it. Start with a meal at Kiki’s by the beach, move to Stanley Restaurant for a midday treat, and finally settle into dinner at At Nine, and then head back to KIKI’S Beach after the sun goes down and the night begins.
The next morning, it’s back to KIKI’S, this time for its daytime energy, before wrapping up at KIKI’S x Chicha.
It’s less of an itinerary and more of a summer mood board brought to life. Seafood by the water. Lebanese flavours. Long tables. Music. Sand. Cocktails. Friends. And, inevitably, someone suggesting one more stop.
THE SUMMER THAT KEEPS GOING
What makes GNK’s story interesting is how naturally its destinations have become part of the way people spend their time.
KIKI’S helped establish the rhythm. A decade later, that rhythm has grown into something much bigger: a collection of places that move with the way people want to eat, stay, celebrate and spend their summers.
The GNK Route is simply an invitation to experience it all.
Come for lunch. Stay for sunset. See where the night takes you.
After all, in Sahel, the best plans have always been the ones that weren’t supposed to end.