At the entrance to Stir Social House in Gemmayzeh. (Credit: Courtesy of the establishment)
In a context where private investment remains rare and cautious in Lebanon, the opening of new venues continues to demonstrate the restaurant sector's ability to bet on the long term. That is the gamble made by Stir Social House, a new restaurant and social space that opened in early March on Gouraud Street in Gemmayzeh, in the former Alyas location.
Behind the project are Omar Karam and his main partner, Rayan Maalouf, backed by a group of private investors. Together, they raised nearly $1 million, including operational costs, to establish their group and develop this first concept. “From the start, we decided to invest in this country. It's our country, we have only one, and we want to give something back to it,” says Karam.
The establishment opened its doors on March 7, one day behind schedule. Just days earlier, a new deadly escalation in the Hezbollah-Israel war had triggered a climate of deep economic concern in the country, complicating the final preparations. “It really wasn't the right time,” the partners admit. “But when it happened, we said we had to keep going. We couldn't stop,” Karam adds.
The team also had to cope with difficulties getting several employees and kitchen staff to work, as some lived in areas directly affected by the war.
A hybrid concept from morning to night
In the morning and afternoon, the venue operates as a specialty coffee shop, offering various brewing methods and catering to freelancers, remote workers and premium coffee lovers. In the evening, the atmosphere gradually shifts to that of a cocktail bar. Food service runs continuously, from breakfast through dinner.
Housed in a building dating to the 1940s, the space has a standard seating capacity of 80 to 85. Thanks to a flexible layout and outdoor areas, capacity can reach 120 people during peak periods. The team employs between 20 and 26 people, split between front-of-house and kitchen staff.
The average bill varies greatly depending on the time of day. A coffee and lunch generally cost between $15 and $20, while a dinner with drinks can reach $40 to $50 per person. This approach is also reflected in a pricing policy that the owner wants to keep reasonable despite the continual rise in operating costs. “We want to prove that it is possible to do good business while keeping prices reasonable,” Karam says.
For its founders, opening Stir Social House goes beyond mere entrepreneurship. During weeks marked by security tensions, the venue remained open despite foot traffic that was sometimes insufficient to cover operating costs. “Some days, we lost money,” the duo acknowledge. “But it was our way of resisting, our way of continuing to live in this country.”
In the longer term, the founders are also considering developing a takeout business and other complementary concepts. In a restaurant sector that continues to attract capital despite successive crises, Stir Social House exemplifies a trend observed for several years: local investors continuing to bet on Beirut, convinced that economic activity and consumption will eventually recover their momentum.
“If we are operating here, it is not out of greed,” Karam concludes. “It is a message to ourselves, our families, our team and our customers.”
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
