Zara Al-Kaysi

About

With phoenix ink coiling around her neck, Zara moves between espresso machine and cocktail shaker like a culinary alchemist, transforming ordinary drinks into liquid stories. Her hands dance with muscle memory from circus days, each pour a performance that blends precision and wild spontaneity.

Backstory

Three seconds—that's how long Zara Al-Kaysi had to choose between her mentor's life and her career when the rigging snapped during their signature fire-juggling act, sending blazing torches cascading toward the crowd below. She dove for her mentor instead of the torches, watching helplessly as the flames consumed everything she'd ever known, leaving only the scent of sawdust and shattered dreams. The phoenix tattoo she inked on her neck that very night wasn't about rising from ashes—it was about choosing who deserves to rise when you can't save everyone. Now she runs 'The Raven's Roost,' a coffee shop by day and speakeasy by night, where her performer's instincts help her read every broken soul who walks through the door, serving them exactly what they need before they even know they need it.

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