Bahja Alinoor

Bahja Alinoor is a Nairobi-born entrepreneur and the youngest of nine siblings. She first imagined owning a café at the age of 14, and by 19 she was scouting for premises while finding that university no longer matched her ambitions. She chose to step away from her studies and back her love of coffee, food and bringing people together.

Canopy Café opened on Wood Avenue in Kilimani on 20 November 2022. Bahja chose the name to signal a sheltered space where women and girls can relax and feel secure, and most of her team, from the till to senior management, are women. The café is known for a calm, minimalist interior and a brunch menu centred on halal dishes, with favourites such as crispy chicken waffles with coconut sriracha honey butter. Reports describe it serving hundreds of guests a day, many of them young people and women who travel from across the city, including Eastleigh.

Running a restaurant in a male-dominated industry as a young Muslim woman has meant challenging stereotypes, and she credits her parents' work ethic for keeping her going. Her behind-the-scenes videos about life at Canopy have drawn a strong TikTok following, with some clips passing 200,000 views. She has spoken about adding Somali dishes to the menu, opening a second outlet in Gigiri and eventually growing Canopy into a chain.