Kate and Yasser Aiq in 2020 (Photo by West Philly Local).

All are invited to Renata’s Kitchen‘s 10th anniversary party! The popular local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant and brunch spot, managed by the husband and wife duo Yasser and Kate Aiq, will hold a free celebratory community party and open house on Wednesday, May 10, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The event will take place on Renata’s expansive outdoor patio at 40th and Baltimore. Guests will be treated to lite bites, butlered hors d’oeuvres, carving stations and complimentary welcome cocktails courtesy of Revivalist Spirits.

“We wanted to have this party to say ‘thank you’ to the community for supporting us over the past decade,” said chef Yasser Aiq. “We would not have survived without the continued support of friends, neighbors and our incredibly loyal customers who stood by us through some tough times.”

The restaurant has had some challenging times in its 10-year history. It opened in 2013 at 43rd and Locust and was forced to move out in 2015 after a devastating fire. After serving their customers at 4533 Baltimore Ave. for over four years, the restaurant reopened at its current 5,000 square-foot, bi-level location in the Trolley Portal Gardens in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit.

The sense of community, which has always supported the business throughout the years, has inspired the Aiqs to donate proceeds from alcohol sales during the open house event (which includes specialty cocktails and Mediterranean wines) to the Workshop School, a West Philly-based high school that builds a curriculum focused on project-based instruction, internships and real-world experiences that prepare them for postsecondary success.

“It’s because of the community that Yasser and I get to do what we love every day,” said Kate. “This event is for us to thank them for their love, for their kind critiques, and for being in our corner day in and day out through the good times and the bad.”