Chef Eskender Aseged made his name hosting pop-ups for the past seven years. Now he's using that expertise to launch his own family-style restaurant in Bayview next week.

Aseged's new restaurant, Radio Africa & Kitchen, started in Aseged's home after he moved to San Francisco from Ethiopia. At first he was serving home-cooked meals for friends and family, and he has since thrown pop-up dinners — serving what he calls “Red Sea meets Mediterranean” food — at locations such as Coffee Bar and Velo Rouge.

Aseged says the new restaurant will have a generous amount of space for guests to share food, family-style. And he's fostering that environment with family-style seating, which he says is community-oriented, sustainable, and “financially viable.” By seating multiple small parties at a table for 14, Aseged is encouraging guests to socialize outside their own bubble and befriend their neighbors; he believes guests will have more fun this way, especially if they come alone. From Aseged's popup experience, he says, “It's like having a party every night.”