Kehinde Smith is a Nigerian entrepreneur, lifestyle influencer and brand builder whose ventures are helping shape Lagos’s evolving hospitality and lifestyle scene. As co-founder of The Smith Sisters Group, alongside her twin sister and business partner, Taiwo Smith, she has developed a growing portfolio of restaurant, beauty and lifestyle concepts that bring together global influences, distinctive design and customer focused experiences. From premium haircare to brunch culture, upscale dining and contemporary café experiences, Kehinde’s entrepreneurial journey reflects a talent for identifying lifestyle opportunities and transforming them into brands with individual identities.
Her entrepreneurial foundation was established in the beauty industry through My Extensionz, a premium hair extensions business that grew from an online venture into a brand serving customers in Nigeria and the diaspora. The experience gave the sisters valuable exposure to e-commerce, customer relationships, logistics and brand development. As reported by The Bounce in May 2026, this early business became an important part of the sisters’ journey before their expansion into hospitality. My Extensionz has since evolved into The Hair Studio, extending Kehinde’s interests in beauty and personal care while providing a foundation for her wider lifestyle ventures.
In hospitality, Kehinde Smith has built a portfolio that caters to different occasions, tastes and social experiences. Cafeteria NG established her presence in Lagos’s brunch culture, bringing American inspired comfort food and an all day dining concept to the city. Maple Lagos followed with an international menu and café atmosphere, while The Smiths introduced a more elevated dining experience, combining influences from Asian, Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Each concept serves a distinct audience while reflecting a shared emphasis on atmosphere, presentation and the experience surrounding a meal. Their approach illustrates an understanding that contemporary hospitality extends beyond food to encompass design, service, community and the way people connect with a space.
Her subsequent ventures have continued to broaden that vision. Forno began as an artisanal wood fired pizza concept in Lekki, while Panu Lagos introduced a New York and Italian inspired deli café centred on the panuzzo, a pizza sandwich, alongside a flexible space for private events known as The Blank Space. The portfolio also includes Batters & Brunch, Smith Skin Studio and other beauty and lifestyle interests. Rather than building one restaurant and replicating the same formula, Kehinde and Taiwo have pursued different concepts that allow them to explore distinct customer preferences and dining occasions. This variety has become a defining feature of their business approach, connecting food, beauty and social experiences within a wider lifestyle ecosystem.
Kehinde’s role within the partnership extends beyond ownership. A profile published for the 2026 Beauty in the Motherland event identifies her focus within The Smith Sisters Group as creative direction, branding, partnerships and business growth, complementing Taiwo’s leadership in culinary development. Their partnership brings together different strengths while maintaining a shared vision for the group’s brands. The sisters have also spoken publicly about the realities of building businesses in Nigeria, including operational challenges, customer feedback and the systems required to deliver consistent service. Their willingness to discuss these challenges offers a more complete picture of entrepreneurship, one that recognises that successful lifestyle brands require not only creativity but also resilience, adaptation and disciplined execution.
As Lagos continues to develop a more diverse hospitality and lifestyle economy, Kehinde Smith represents a generation of entrepreneurs approaching business through the combined lenses of creativity, customer experience and brand strategy. Her journey from beauty retail to a multi concept hospitality portfolio demonstrates how skills developed in one industry can inform opportunities in another. Alongside Taiwo, she is building businesses that invite customers to engage with food, beauty and leisure in different ways, while contributing to the changing character of urban lifestyle culture in Nigeria. Her next chapter will be defined by how these individual concepts mature, strengthen their identities and sustain growth within an increasingly competitive market.
