About Us

Restaurateur Youssef Nafaa is President and CEO of Bella Restaurants, a collection of unique dining destinations that has impacted the Houston food scene for the last 25 years. Restaurants in the group include Mia Bella Trattoria, with two  Houston locations; Coco Crepes, Waffles, & Coffee, with nine Houston locations; and ZOA Eatery, with three Houston locations. Youssef’s childhood on a fruit farm in Morocco instilled in him a deep appreciation for the connection between people and food and a respect for the importance of using fresh ingredients. He left Morocco in 1988 at age 21 to attend college in Chicago. Here, Youssef unwittingly embarked on his culinary career, working as an underpaid busboy at a busy Greek diner. His unparalleled work ethic and natural talents soon took him to the kitchen.

He moved from one restaurant to another, fervently learning, growing, and honing his skills, and finally landed the chef role. One that consistently filled the dining room with crowds who craved his latest culinary creation. Seeking to fortify his technical knowledge, Youssef enrolled in the Le Cordon Bleu program at the renowned Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Upon graduating, Youssef was asked to serve as chef for a high-end, Chicago restaurant. He later began consulting for restaurants in Houston, where he eventually moved in 1998 to open the first of many dining establishments in the Bella Restaurant Group. Youssef is married, with three sons, all of whom have demonstrated their father’s same aptitude for both culinary arts and creative vision. “I decided to resurrect Mi Luna after realizing that the Spanish tapas concept is not authentically represented in the Houston market. I missed the Mi Luna concept and the environment it presented. My feelings for Mi Luna never died and I had dreamed of bringing it back to life, then an opportunity presented itself in the perfect location to bring Mi Luna to the Houston restaurant scene again.