Discover Kenya and Sasha, the inspiring co-founders of SEVEN, a café-restaurant located in Uccle. Childhood friends, they have combined their talents and complementary skills to create a warm and unique space where quality and service are at the heart of everything they do.
AROZ. Could you introduce yourselves briefly?
Kenya. I'm Kenya, 27 years old. I studied Fashion Business in London, then worked in the press and later in an architecture office.
Sasha. I'm Sasha, 28 years old. I studied hospitality at EHL in Lausanne and later worked in event planning before joining the family business in the restaurant industry.
Today, we are the two co-founders of Seven, a café-restaurant located in Uccle.
AROZ. How did you meet, and how did this partnership come about?
K & S. We've been friends since childhood, our parents knew each other, and we often went on vacations together. We grew even closer through our respective partners, who are the co-founders of Animo Studios, a fitness studio. That’s also how Seven came to life. While visiting the construction site of the second studio in Uccle, we spotted a space for rent right next door and immediately saw an opportunity. From there, everything moved very quickly. At the time, we were both working for our fathers—Sasha in the restaurant industry and Kenya in design. This complementarity was ideal for creating and developing a place like Seven.
AROZ. What are the advantages of working together as friends?
K & S.
° No surprises: we know each other inside out and understand how to communicate effectively. This mutual knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses helps us divide tasks more efficiently.
° Mutual trust: our complementarity means we have full trust in each other's decisions.
° Faster decision-making: we make decisions quickly because we have similar tastes.
° Shared goals: we’re aligned on a clear and unified vision for SEVEN’s future.
° Beyond SEVEN, we spend a lot of time together and share many things in common, like our friends, travels, and sports.
° Our strong bond helps us support each other through tough times. Being entrepreneurs isn't always easy—you can quickly feel isolated or overwhelmed—but sharing the journey with a friend who’s on the same page really helps.
AROZ. How do you imagine SEVEN evolving in the next five years?
K & S. It’s been nearly two years since we opened, and we both feel the desire to take on a new project. However, our priority is to continue developing Seven while maintaining the quality and service we’ve been committed to from the start. In the restaurant business, there are always surprises, so we don’t want to rush—we prefer to take our time and do things properly.
That said, we have some exciting projects in mind:
° More collaborations
° Residencies and exchanges with other chefs
° A Seven-branded product line
° And maybe even a new project this winter… but it’s still a secret!
AROZ. What’s the dish you could eat every day at Seven?
K. Açai bowl extra peanut butter
S. Avocado toast with an egg
AROZ. What do jewelry pieces mean to you, in general?
Jewelry is a great way to elevate an outfit. It quickly adds that little extra something that can make a big difference. Some pieces of jewelry hold real sentimental value, representing memories or a story.
AROZ. What are the pieces of jewelry you never take off?
K. I don't change my jewelry often, but the ones I never take off are my two necklaces and the Cartier Love bracelet, a gift from my grandparents.
S. I generally don't change much and stick to basic pieces that are easy to wear every day, but it's always yellow gold: 2 to 3 rings, a slightly bold necklace, and small gold earrings with discreet diamonds.
AROZ. What’s your mantra? What phrase or word would you like to engrave on one of our medallions?
K & S. slow down
AROZ. And finally, how would you describe AROZ in three words?
K & S. Trendy, quality, accessible.