Chef Izu Ani and Evgeny Kuzin launched Gaia in Dubai in 2018 and opened its first U.S. location in Miami Beach this April. Courtesy of Gaia
In April, Evgeny Kuzin and Izu Ani opened Gaia in Miami Beach, the Greek restaurant’s sixth city and the first U.S. venue for their Fundamental Hospitality Group. They launched Gaia in Dubai in 2018. Kuzin is the group’s chairman, and Ani, the chef, is now its chief research officer. They hosted more than five million guests in 2025 and expect more than 10 million this year, according to the company, across 30 venues in eight countries. Those range from the 100,000-square-foot Sirene by Gaia beach club to the 44-seat Kigo at the Four Seasons in Dubai’s financial district.
According to the company, Kuzin and co-chairman Maxim Vlasov have grown the group’s capital commitment from the $140 million program announced in 2023 to $200 million this year. They are moving toward $400 million, with about 15 openings planned for 2026 and an IPO under discussion. In May, Kuzin and Ani signed a portfolio-wide partnership with Stoli Group. In June, they announced the UAE’s first Cipriani Lido, at Dubai’s J1 Beach, slated for the fourth quarter of 2027, and in July they took Scalini to Beirut. Gaia arrives in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain by year’s end and in Mykonos in 2027, the same year La Maison Ani opens in Monaco and Riyadh. Also due in 2027 is the group’s first real estate venture: with Egyptian developer Palm Hills, Kuzin and Ani are building a Sirene by Gaia, a luxury hotel and branded residences at Hacienda Heneish on Egypt’s north coast.
Kuzin and Ani, both 2026 Nightlife & Dining Power List honorees, talked to Observer about serving Greek food to Greeks, what the Cipriani family taught Kuzin and the Nigerian dish Ani grew up on.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Evgeny, you moved to Dubai at 21 and spent your early years bringing other people’s brands to the city. What was the moment you decided to stop importing and start building your own?
Kuzin: Bringing established international brands to Dubai was an important learning experience for me. When we opened Cipriani DIFC, one of the most valuable lessons I learned from the Cipriani family was the importance of consistency. True longevity comes from creating an experience that guests can recognize and trust, regardless of where they are in the world. Over time, I realized that Dubai had everything we needed to start telling our own stories. The city gave us a unique advantage: access to exceptional international talent and one of the most sophisticated and diverse clienteles in the world. When we created Gaia in 2018, our ambition was never limited to Dubai. We wanted to build a brand with the potential to travel internationally from day one. Opening our second Gaia in Monaco less than a year later reinforced our belief that a concept born in Dubai could compete on a global stage. We are often advised to adapt our brands to each new market, but our guests come to Gaia for a specific, recognizable experience. The location may change, but the standards, identity and philosophy must remain the same.
How did your partnership start, and how do you split the work? When you disagree, who usually wins?
Ani: My partnership with Evgeny began with friendship. He was a regular guest at one of my restaurants, and through mutual appreciation and respect, our friendship grew into a partnership. I believe the strongest partnerships are built on complementary strengths, not ownership or ego. Evgeny can’t cook, and I can’t do what he does in business and investment. We don’t really argue; we discuss. Even when we disagree, we listen to understand, not to win.
In 2027, you’re opening a Greek restaurant built in Dubai on Mykonos, in Greece itself. How do you prepare to serve Greek food to Greeks?
Kuzin: Like Dubai, Mykonos attracts a very international clientele, and many of our guests already know Gaia from different cities around the world. A significant part of our international expansion has been driven by guests who follow our brands from one destination to another. For us, opening in Mykonos is about creating an experience that feels naturally connected to the rhythm and energy of the island, while maintaining the same quality, hospitality and consistency our guests expect from Gaia anywhere in the world.
Ani: For me, opening Gaia in Mykonos feels like coming full circle. I’ve spent many summers in Greece, including an entire summer in Santorini, working closely with Greek producers, people and ingredients. Greek cuisine is about honesty, simplicity and respect for ingredients. My interpretation of Greek cuisine is slightly more layered. I bring the knowledge and techniques I’ve gained over the years working in France, Spain and across Europe to develop and enhance flavors, without losing the simplicity, honesty and identity of the original ingredients. The result should always remain approachable, recognizable and unmistakably Greek.
Your portfolio runs from a 100,000-square-foot beach club to a 44-seat omakase room. Which is harder to get right, and why?
Kuzin: The scale is very different, but the expectations of our guests remain exactly the same. With Sirene by Gaia, our biggest challenge was creating a destination of over 100,000 square feet while maintaining the same standards of cuisine, service and hospitality that define our brands. At Kigo, the approach is entirely different. The intimate setting allows us to focus on precision and a highly personalized guest experience, where every detail becomes even more important.
Ani: If you look at Japanese and Greek cuisine, they share something fundamental: the beauty of simplicity and the pursuit of perfection through respect for ingredients. I believe when food becomes too complicated, we risk losing the connection with our guests. Whether we serve 20 guests or 1,500, our philosophy never changes. We don’t create food to impress people.
Six months into Miami Beach, what has an American guest asked for or complained about that no guest in Dubai, London or Monaco ever has?
Ani: To be honest, we haven’t experienced anything particularly unusual in Miami. In many ways, Miami reminds me of Dubai. Both cities are full of energy, ambition and people who dream big. If there’s one thing Miami guests have asked for, it’s an even bigger and more exceptional wine selection. But that’s not so different from Dubai, where expectations are equally high.
Evgeny, you’ve said you want to build the largest luxury hospitality group in the world. What’s something you’ve turned down, or would turn down, even if it got you there faster?
Kuzin: Anything that compromises the integrity of our brands or the experience of our guests. I’ve always believed in taking risks. One of the most important lessons my father taught me was that playing it safe will never take you far. But there is a difference between taking calculated risks and expanding simply for the sake of growth. We are extremely selective about the locations we enter, the venues we develop and the partners we work with. Growth is important, but it should never come at the expense of the quality, consistency and identity that made our brands successful in the first place.
Izu, Gaia now runs in six cities. What’s the one thing that must be identical everywhere, and what have you deliberately let each city change?
Ani: The challenge of expanding internationally is not replicating recipes or ingredients. It’s preserving the soul and philosophy behind the experience. Every city has its own culture, ingredients, tastes and energy. We don’t want to change the environment we enter; we want to become part of it. But the most important ingredient will always be our people. You can teach someone a recipe, but you must inspire them to understand, believe in and live your philosophy. Recipes can be replicated, but emotions cannot. That’s what must remain identical wherever we go.
What’s a dish you grew up eating that has never made it onto any of your menus, and why not?
Ani: There are so many dishes from my childhood, but one of my favorites will always be egusi soup. I grew up eating my mother’s Nigerian cooking. She cooked with so much love, and food was always her way of bringing happiness to the people around her. She always said, “Food without spice is not food.” That has stayed with me throughout my life. I love adding a little spice to my dishes to keep things interesting, awaken the palate and bring flavors to life. Of course, not every childhood dish belongs on a Greek menu, but my heritage is always present in subtle ways. My mother taught me that food is an expression of love.
See all of Observer’s 2026 Nightlife & Dining Power List honorees.
Dining and Cooking