Interview/written by Joy Onuorah

When Nigeria Everywhere sat down with Nahi Halabi, one thing became clear almost immediately. He does not speak about Lagos as a necessary evil or a city he endures for business. He speaks about it with certainty and affection, as someone who has chosen it fully.

There is no performance in his conviction and no familiar complaint about infrastructure or difficulty, despite operating in one of the most demanding hospitality markets in the world. His position is simple, deliberate, and deeply rooted in belief.

“If you are only here for the money,” says Nahi, “you are here for the wrong reason.”

That sentence sits quietly at the centre of everything he and his wife, Maya Halabi, have built.

It explains why two people got married, unpacked their bags, opened three restaurants, employed hundreds of people, and committed themselves to Lagos at a time when many were planning their exit.

Nahi Halabi, CEO and Co-Founder, and Maya Halabi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of RSVP, SLoW, and Vici, did not arrive in Lagos by accident. Nahi has spent most of his life in the city and proudly calls himself a Lagos boy. Maya also came, stayed, and over time made Nigeria home.

While others were drawing up escape plans, the Halabis were quietly mapping out a future, betting on the city, its people, and the long game.

Today, that decision has transformed RSVP, SLoW, and Vici into three of the most influential dining and nightlife experiences in Nigeria, not because they chased trends, but because they built institutions.

Detty December And The Business of Belonging

How a Family of Restaurateurs Is Building a Culinary Empire on Lagos Culture

There is no period that captures Lagos more completely than December. It is not merely a holiday season. It is a cultural reunion, an economic surge, and a reminder of why the city continues to pull people back.

During their conversation with Nigeria Everywhere, the Halabis described Detty December not as a marketing moment, but as a lived reality that reflects the soul of the city.

“One thing I have learned,” Nahi explained, “is that Lagos does everything all out. If it is your birthday, Lagos celebrates in a way others do not. Valentine’s Day is the same. But Christmas is on another level. It is genuine and it comes from the heart.”

According to him, people in the diaspora are not returning simply for rest. They are coming back to reconnect with memory, excitement, and pride.

“We have travelled a lot,” he said, “and I can say the energy in Lagos during December is different. It is difficult to measure, but you feel it.”

Each of their restaurants plays a distinct role during this season, serving different moods while maintaining the same standard.

How a Family of Restaurateurs Is Building a Culinary Empire on Lagos Culture

At SLoW, the atmosphere is calmer and more reflective. Nahi recommends the spicy smoked salsa, particularly alongside a drink, while Maya insists the ribeye with soy butter is a must.

Vici offers something more playful and indulgent, where Nahi advises guests not to overthink the menu and simply order the tarama dip, while Maya points to the crab pasta as the dish that quietly keeps people at the table longer than planned.

RSVP, on the other hand, is where Lagos arrives fully and unapologetically. Nahi never skips the chicken pops, while Maya heads straight for the crispy rice with tuna tartare, a starter that tends to spark conversation before the night properly begins.

How a Family of Restaurateurs Is Building a Culinary Empire on Lagos Culture

These selections are not curated for effect. They are the owners’ personal favourites, dishes that reflect the consistency behind each brand. More importantly, they underscore a shared philosophy.

Hospitality in Lagos is not only about food or nightlife. It is about belonging, memory, and the comfort of knowing exactly where to go.

A City People Leave and Return To

Lagos has a rhythm that outsiders often struggle to understand. People leave, sometimes out of frustration or ambition, yet many return with renewed perspective.

The Halabis have observed this cycle for more than a decade and see it not as failure, but as movement.

“Yes, people leave,” Nahi told Nigeria Everywhere, “but people also return. Some believe their opportunities lie abroad, while others see those opportunities here. People leave because they want something better. People stay because they believe better is being built here.”

The Halabis count themselves firmly among those who stayed.

“We are committed. We are optimistic. We are expanding. Lagos keeps moving upward, and so will we.”

Maya offered a more operational view. Having lived in Nigeria for over twelve years, she sees change as a constant rather than a threat.

“People come and go, and that is normal in any economy,” she said. “Policies shift, and the economy rises and dips. As a business, you have to learn how to ride those waves.”

What has changed, according to her, is the sophistication of the customer.

“When people travel, they return with higher expectations. Awareness is rising, taste is evolving, and average spending increasingly aligns with global standards. You lose some customers, you gain others, and if you stay focused on what matters, you remain relevant.”

It is this belief that informs how they hire, train, and build systems, with the understanding that Lagos continually regenerates talent and appetite.

Choosing Lagos as a Long-Term Commitment

To understand why the Halabis stayed, it helps to understand how they view Lagos itself.

Nahi describes the city as having a pulse, a mix of chaos and possibility that pushes people beyond comfort. According to him, Lagos does not allow neutrality.

It challenges you, frustrates you, rewards you, and inspires you all in one day, he said. But once the city accepts you, it becomes yours.

Their ambition was never extraction. They wanted to lay foundations, shape the social fabric, and create spaces where Lagosians could gather, celebrate, and return to over time.

“One of our main drives,” Nahi explained, “has always been the social impact we can create. Being part of the fibre that makes society work. That is why we stayed in the same area and kept delivering the same message. Hospitality and everything that comes with it.”

Profit matters, but patience matters more.

“This does not mean we are uninterested in profit,” Maya clarified. “No business survives without a strong value proposition. However, we are not here for short-term gains or to exploit our position as early movers.”

Instead, they see hospitality as a long race.

“Lagos is home,” she added, “and we are excited about what it will look like ten or twenty years from now, knowing that we helped lay some of its foundations.”

The Moment That Tested Everything

That commitment was tested during the pandemic, a period that brought global hospitality to a standstill. While many businesses retrenched, the Halabis made a costly decision.

“Yes, RSVP paid full salaries,” Nahi told Nigeria Everywhere.

At the time, no one knew when or if the industry would recover. Yet they chose to absorb the shock rather than pass it on to their team.

“By 2020, RSVP had been running for seven years. We had people who stayed through the early days. We could not abandon them at the first storm.”

Instead, they pivoted. Takeout and delivery were launched at a time when fear was high and uncertainty was constant. Despite the anxiety of the period, customers trusted them to feed their families, and that trust sustained the business.

“We rotated teams, innovated, and held the line,” Nahi said. “That trust kept the brand alive.”

It was a strategic decision rooted in long-term thinking, recognising that culture, loyalty, and brand equity are built over time.

Building a Business, Building a Life

Running three restaurants is demanding. Running them with your life partner requires structure, trust, and constant alignment.

Maya does not believe in separating work from life.

“I do not separate work and life,” she said during the interview. “I live both at once.”

“From morning to night, in bed, anywhere. It was private and un-private at the same time,” she laughed.

In the early years, the boundaries barely existed.

Over time, they learned to define roles while sharing vision.

“We have aligned visions but separate goals and tasks,” she explained. “That balance is what keeps us moving.”

They chose Lagos with intention, and Lagos, in its complex and demanding way, chose them back.

Today, RSVP, SLoW, and Vici stand as proof that building in Lagos is not naive. It is possible, sustainable, and deeply rewarding when done with patience, belief, and respect for the city and its people.

At Nigeria Everywhere, we tell stories like this because food is culture, hospitality is people, and Lagos is not simply endured. It is loved, built, and returned to.

And some people do not run from its chaos, they build inside it.

How a Family of Restaurateurs Is Building a Culinary Empire Rooted in Lagos Culture