“Leading with Purpose — An Interview with Aline Kamakian, Founder of Fig Holding”
“I never set out to build something big. I set out to build something true. Growth came later as a responsibility,not an ambition.”
- Your brands, Mayrig and Batchig, feel deeply personal yet resonate across borders. What feeling do you hope guests carry with them, wherever they experience your concepts?
I hope my guests leave feeling held. Like they’ve eaten something honest, something that was made with care and intention. Wherever Mayrig or Batchig exists, I want people to feel a sense of home, even if it’s not their home. Comfort, generosity, and sincerity translate across borders.
- Growth often begins quietly. What inner signal told you it was time for your vision to step beyond Lebanon?
It wasn’t ambition; it was readiness. I felt that the values were strong enough to travel without being diluted. When you know your “why” deeply, geography becomes secondary. That’s when I knew it was time.
- Mayrig Bistrot in Geneva became the first Armenian restaurant recognized by Gault & Millau 2026. What does this recognition mean to you, and how do you maintain the authentic spirit of your cuisine while expanding internationally?
It’s a recognition of heritage, not just a restaurant. Armenian cuisine has always deserved a place on the world’s culinary map. Authenticity, for me, isn’t about copying recipes: it’s about preserving intention. We respect the product, the technique, and the story behind every dish. That’s non-negotiable.
- You recently opened the Swiss-Armenian Academy of Hospitality in Gyumri, Armenia, under the license of the world-renowned Lausanne Hospitality School. What inspired you to bring this international-level hospitality education to Gyumri, and what impact do you hope it will have locally and globally?
Gyumri is resilient, talented, and often overlooked. I wanted to invest in people, not just places. Bringing international-level education there is about dignity and opportunity. My hope is to create professionals who are globally competent but deeply rooted in who they are.
When I started in 2003, there were no Armenian chefs recognized on an international level. That absence stayed with me. Armenian cuisine is particular, layered, and deeply different; its own language, its own kitchen. I always knew it had to be included, protected, and passed on.
My hope is to raise a new generation of professionals who are globally competent yet deeply rooted in who they are: carrying their culture forward, not losing it along the way.
- Through your work with the Lebanese Franchise Association, you support expanding brands. In your view, what gives a business true longevity beyond trends?
Discipline, values, and humility. Trends fade. What lasts is clarity of purpose, respect for people, and consistency. A business that knows what it stands for doesn’t need to chase relevance; it earns it.
For me, strong pillars are built when business meets systems and adaptability; when structure allows you to grow without losing your soul. A business that knows what it stands for doesn’t need to chase relevance; it earns it.
- In a world driven by rapid expansion, you’ve consistently chosen intention over speed. What does building with purpose mean to you?
It means knowing when to say no. Purpose is built in the pauses; in choosing the right partners, the right timing, and the right reasons. Speed can impress, but intention sustains.
- Hospitality is about emotion as much as execution. What is one detail you never compromise on, regardless of the market?
Care and respect for the story, for the heritage, for the guest and for the team. If care and respect are missing, no design, no menu, no location can compensate for it.
- Looking back, what lesson did international growth teach you that no textbook ever could?
That culture isn’t a concept; it’s lived daily. What works on paper doesn’t always work with people. Listening is more powerful than planning.
- At this stage of your journey, do you feel more inspired by refining your legacy or by imagining what’s still possible?
Both. Legacy is refinement but imagination keeps you alive. I don’t believe they’re opposites. One gives meaning to the other.
- Success evolves with time. How has your definition of success softened or strengthened over the years?
Success used to be about achievement. Today, it’s about alignment; between what I do, how I do it, and who it impacts. Peace of mind has become a form of success.
Success is not measured in numbers: of customers, locations, or revenue. It shows up when someone is genuinely happy with what you’ve created, or when your story is being told without you having to tell it. That’s when you know it’s real.
For me, success is always tied to the why, never to quantities.
- If your journey could quietly whisper one message to women building their own path, what would it say?
You don’t need permission. Build patiently, trust your intuition, and don’t confuse noise with progress. Your strength doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful.
