Egyptian Designer Mohamed Fares Unveils BLK CAB’s Second London Branch

BLK CAB has opened its second London branch on Little Portland Street. Founded by Kareem Samir and Kaniz Mostaffa, the concept is built around Coffee & People, using coffee as a starting point for interaction. For the new branch, Egyptian designer Mohamed Fares once again led the design, building on ideas explored in the first location with a greater focus on how people move, gather and spend time within the space.

“The first BLK CAB was almost like an experimental studio where coffee, music, and people naturally collided,” Fares, co-founder of Alchemy Studio and founder of MF & Associates, tells SceneHome. From the outset, the design connects elements of London’s metropolitan history with BLK CAB’s evolving identity. “When approaching the design of the space, we wanted to capture the essence and timeless appeal of the cab conceptually. The London Cab is a mode of transport and an enduring symbol of British culture.”

For the second branch, the focus is on how people move through and use the space. “We wanted to evolve that identity into something more spatially immersive and architectural,” Fares explains. “The starting point was the idea of creating more than a café, creating a cultural environment. BLK CAB has always been about coffee and people, but we began asking how architecture itself could encourage interaction, creativity and community.”

Alongside the interior, the new location expands BLK CAB’s design language through a series of custom pieces and collaborations. These include branded furniture developed with Mohm and Benzo, alongside merchandise such as The Dhippo collectible created in partnership with Kyme Toys.

The space explores a richer material palette than the first branch, combining stainless steel and walnut wood with a greater emphasis on contrast and texture. Natural finishes sit alongside industrial elements, while custom architectural details and integrated furniture pieces were designed specifically for the location. “We wanted the space to feel like an escape from the pace of the city without disconnecting from its energy,” Fares says.

Lighting also plays a larger role in the experience of the space. Rather than serving as a purely functional element, it is used to shape the atmosphere through shadows, reflections, and tonal contrast throughout the day.

This thinking shapes a space organised around movement and pause. Seating is arranged in smaller groupings, lighting is tuned to shift the mood across different moments of the day, and circulation is designed to slow people down as they move through the interior. “We focused heavily on how people move, gather, pause and observe,” Fares explains. “The concept became a rhythm, a space that changes depending on the hour, the light, the music and the people inside it.” Through its design, furniture, and collaborations, BLK CAB's second London branch marks the next chapter in the brand’s evolving identity, centred on people and the spaces they share.