Everything You Need to Know About Yemeni Coffee

Eight years ago, if you asked people to name coffee-producing countries, they might have named Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia or Indonesia. Very few people would have added Yemen to the list, even though it claims honor as the birthplace of coffee, with the port city of Al-Makha, known as Mokha, inspiring the cultivation of beans and beverages.

Now, in 2025, Yemeni coffee is one of the most popular trends in the United States. From the Detroit area to Brooklyn, Houston to Chicago, and out West, shops serving Yemeni-style drinks are popping up everywhere. 

The market is abounding with independent shops, such as Socotra Coffee House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and emerging brands like Haraz, Moka & Co., and Bayt Al Mocha, which operate across Michigan and beyond.

They owe their emergence, at least in part, to Ibrahim Alhasbani, the founder of Qahwah House, the best-known chain serving Yemeni coffee. (Qahwah is the Arabic word for coffee.)  In 2017, he began selling Yemeni coffee from a small storefront on Schaefer Road in Dearborn, Mich., near the border with Detroit.

It has since grown to multiple shops across the Detroit area and about 25 locations nationwide. The latest opened this month on Long Island, while new shops are planned in Virginia and Indiana. 

Alhasbani, whose family raises coffee in Yemen, had been working two jobs as an airport passenger service agent and a display representative for Nestlé when he opened his first shop. He used a combination of retirement savings, credit cards, and an espresso machine brought from home to open his shop. In doing so, he opened the doors to something most Americans had never tried. Here's what you need to know before taking your first sip. 

Here's where Yemeni coffee is Grown

The Republic of Yemen occupies the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Saudi Arabia to the north, and has coastlines on the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. It is an arid and largely mountainous country, considered one of the poorest in the Middle East and Africa, where civil conflict has been ongoing since 2014.

Its four coffee growing regions stretch primarily along its western edge, with some coffee grown in the south. Unlike other nations with vast commercial coffee plantations, Yemeni coffee is mainly grown by farmers like the Alhasbani family.  The coffee is grown at high altitudes, then milled, dried, and roasted in the sun.

That meticulous process drives up the price compared to other artisanal beans. In coffee shops, Yemeni coffee costs around $30 and up per pound, with some varieties costing more, depending on the region where they are from. Along with his family’s farms, Alhasbani buys from about 100 roasters and hopes that will grow to 200 before long.

How Yemeni coffee took off in the U.S.

Fionn Pooler, who writes The Pourover, a coffee-focused website and newsletter based in Scotland, says Yemeni coffee reached a willing group of customers in recent decades. This growth coincided with a larger market shift from conventional brewed coffee to commercial brands like Starbucks, as well as third-wave artisanal shops. 

“Specialty coffee drinkers in particular are open to trying new things and new coffees,” he tells Food & Wine via email.

“Two things are coming together,” adds Randy Chapman, a partner and managing director of AlixPartners, an industry analysis firm. One is the growth nationwide of the Arab-American community; the other is that “all consumers across all ethnic groups are looking for higher value and higher authenticity.” 

Dearborn, whose population of 105,000 is more than 50% Arab-American, was the logical place for Qahwah House to launch. It has since become a mini-Silicon Valley of Yemeni coffee. According to regional economic development officials, there are at least 20 coffee shops in the city. The city also hosts an annual Coffee Week in September, allowing residents and visitors to try the different spots. 

But Alhasbani says he’s found a market beyond places with Arab-American populations. After launching in Dearborn, the next shop was in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, and he’s watched as other brands have joined the fray.

“We are proud that we are the first one (and) we are behind every one that opens up,” Alhasbani says. “The more that open up, the more market there is for Yemeni coffee.”

There's more than one Yemeni coffee drink

Yemeni coffee tends to have a sweeter and more rustic flavor than commercial coffee from Italy or South America. It generally comes in light roast, dark roast, and a caffeine-free version called qishir, which is made from coffee hulls. 

Whether part of a chain or an individual shop, many Yemeni coffee places offer simple pour-over coffees, meant for sipping, rather than gulping. Some feature coffee with honey, while a Yemeni Latte combines honey, spices, milk, and the coffee grounds resemble an espresso blend. 

Qishir, named for the coffee hulls, is a type of steeped tea with a coffee-like flavor, but without the caffeine kick. 

Many Yemeni spots offer iced coffee drinks, called frappes, which are blended with ice. They can range from hazelnut and pistachio to caramel and chocolate. In recent months, coffee shops have offered Dubai Chocolate-inspired drinks, blending dark chocolate and pistachio syrups with milk and topping them with the shredded pastry known as kataifi. 

Yemini coffee shops offer a very specific atmosphere 

Walking into a branch of Qawah House or another Yemeni coffee bar, guests immediately notice a more personal approach than Starbucks or even a local shop. “The aesthetics are distinct, less minimalist than many third-wave coffee shop interiors, and the coffees and food they offer are also very different,” Pooler says. 

Many shops have murals on their walls, some depicting places in Yemen, while others feature members of the owner’s family. There are big glass bakery cases with pastries and sweets. The clientele can be all generations, from groups of elders to mothers with children, and students studying or hanging out.

When Socotra celebrated its first anniversary last September, the shop threw a party for its customers with complimentary tea, desserts, and savory dishes. There was live music and a big sheet cake shared by hundreds of guests. 

During Ramadan, which marks a month of fasting for observant Muslims, coffeehouses come alive after sundown. Many serving Muslim communities will stay open several hours later than normal, so that families can have the traditional evening meal called Iftar, then go out for coffee and dessert. 

“They really lean into the idea of the third place, of being community gathering spaces, and they're also open late, which most coffee shops are not,” Pooler says. “There aren't a lot of places to go in the evening that aren't bars, so I think they offer another option that's communal, but you don't have to be surrounded by alcohol.”

Yemeni coffee can certainly compete with big names

While Yemeni coffee has become more popular, it still has far to go to catch up with coffee giants such as Starbucks, which has 17,000 outlets in the U.S., Dunkin with nearly 10,000, and Dutch Bros, with 1,000.

Investment is not cheap. According to The FDD Exchange, which tracks franchise costs, a Qahwah House shop can cost between $656,000 and $1 million, depending on location, including a $199,000 fee to the company. 

Even with the shaky economy forcing some restaurant groups to contract, Chapman thinks there is ample room for Yemeni coffee shop expansion. He believes there is opportunity for growth in the Northeast and Florida, “where I haven’t heard much buzz,” Chapman says. 

Complications to expanding may come in the ongoing civil strife in Yemen, coupled with President Donald Trump's latest restrictions. On June 4, the White House included Yemen in a list of 12 countries whose citizens were barred or limited from traveling to the U.S. Additionally, there are (currently) 10% tariffs on goods imported from Yemen.

However, Yemeni coffee retains an enthusiastic customer base. “You have to give it to the Arab-Americans: they hold onto their heritage and their ways,” Chapman says. “The mindset of their demographic is creating that need. I don’t know if you could do the same thing for another cultural or ethnic group.” 

Alhasbani, the sole owner of the Qahwah House company and several of its stores, says he has been approached by investors. “People come, they want to buy shares, go to the next level, and make it a big brand,” he says. He has worked with some financiers and is developing a second brand that can offer ingredients from other countries.  

But he’s determined that Qahwah House will only import and serve Yemeni Coffee. He shares, “We want to build the brand for my life, and after my life.”