A lively buzz is emanating from the local coffee shop. Large groups of people stand outside, laughing and bantering while they wait to enter. Once inside, finding a spot to sit is a kind of extreme sport. Couples, families and groups of friends chat under dim lighting. People share stories, debate politics and catch up with loved ones. Some run into familiar faces, greeting each other warmly, while others are meeting for the first time, exchanging polite conversation. The decor and hospitality are inspired by the Arab world. The smell of oud, coffee beans and freshly baked pastries fills the air, making the atmosphere warm, comforting and nostalgic. In the background, traditional Arabic music hums, giving the environment the final touch it needs to feel like a cafe “back home.”
With Arab-owned cafes popping up across North America, Middle Eastern-style nightlife is providing a new kind of “third place” for young people, fostering culture and community away from home and work. On a night out at Shotted Specialty Coffee in Northern Virginia, Yasmin Heiba, a young adult from the greater Washington area, says that she feels at home in the cafe. “I can be in my country and not feel like a minority. That’s not something I can feel almost everywhere I go. No matter what, I’m a minority, whether it be religiously, as a woman, as a person of color. … So to come somewhere and not feel like that is really nice.”
The cafes offer community and a sense of belonging, especially to young people, many of them first- or second-generation immigrants. It’s a place for them to connect and feel like their authentic selves, surrounded by people who understand them. “How often do you go out in a Western country and you see a sea of Muslims in abayas and hijabs?” Heiba says. “Personally, I’ve never seen that here besides at a masjid [mosque]. So to be able to expand our community outside of places of worship is nice — it feels safe.” For young people, safety is an important consideration when choosing a spot to hang out, and they feel safe in these cafes because the environment is familiar and reflects their cultural values.
Qahwa House, the original trendsetter for these Middle Eastern nightlife spots, opened its first location in 2017 in Dearborn, Michigan. The founder, Ibrahim Alhasbani, comes from a Yemeni family steeped in coffee farming, one of the most difficult professions in the country. Farming the beans is very dangerous, in part because the mountainous terrain is only accessible by foot or motorbike. But ongoing political conflict also poses obstacles, making the presence of the country’s coffee — the fruit of Yemeni farmers’ intense labor — in the West all the more extraordinary. Through Qahwa House, Alhasbani has been sharing this heritage through an expanding franchise that now spans 10 locations, including in New York City; Columbus, Ohio; and Charlotte, North Carolina. “I want to share the culture. I want to share the coffee. I want to share the history,” Alhasbani recently told OZ Arab Media.
Dearborn, home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, is also where the Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. got its start. Created by two entrepreneurs, Hatem Al-Eidaroos and Munif Maweri, the cafe is now a North American franchise sourcing coffee beans directly from Yemen. Its roastery is also in Dearborn. Another Yemeni franchise, Haraz Coffee House, also originates from the city.
These gathering places are known to stay open late, imitating cities like Cairo, where bustling cafes and restaurants remain vibrant throughout the night. The food and the culture of hospitality are similar, too, making for a social scene that stands out in America. The cafes are highly popular with Arab and Muslim communities, and they are also attracting other customers, offering an alternative to bars and clubs where alcohol is served.
While Muslims typically don’t drink alcoholic beverages, many non-Muslims are also moving away from the alcohol scene. According to Gallup, Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012 — and some millennials, born between 1981 and 1996 — are becoming less interested in alcohol consumption.
With that in mind, where does this generation go for a night out? “It’s really hard to find places to go for fun,” Heiba says. “Especially in this area, if you’re not going out clubbing or to bars or out to eat, there’s really not much to do.” Part of the cafes’ appeal is that there’s no pressure to drink alcohol. Some go just to “hang out” with friends, making the cafes an option for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money. What’s more, the environment is safe and family friendly. Although the clientele consists mainly of young adults, families with young children and older adults visit as well. The scene is diverse, unique and, for some, nostalgic and homey. “It’s nice because there’s a lot of Muslim people and even the menu brings Arab items to it and it’s really nice to feel like you’re at home when you’re not at home,” says one customer, Rewa Sharabi.
The cafes offer menu items containing rich Middle Eastern delights, including honeycomb (“khaliat al-nahl” in Arabic). Popular in Yemen, the soft bread is filled with cream or cheese and baked in the shape of a honeycomb, topped with syrup or honey. Both Qahwa House and Qamaria offer a homemade take on honeycomb, giving Americans the chance to try these simple and traditional Yemeni baked goods. Another major hit on the menus is the pistachio-flavored lattes and desserts. Pistachios have exploded in popularity recently, thanks in part to the “Dubai chocolate” trend, which has led to a global shortage. But the Middle East has been using pistachios in various traditional dishes, both sweet and savory, for the past thousand years or so. They have always been in high demand in the region, and now they are being used in desserts and lattes across North America, and not just in Arab-inspired coffee shops. It’s safe to say that traditional Middle Eastern flavors are trending.
Socializing over a late-night cup of coffee has a long, evolving history that dates back to 15th-century Yemen. The Sufis, Muslim mystics, would drink coffee together deep into the night. The coffee would give them the energy they needed to stay up and worship, bringing them closer to God. The practice became very popular in the Muslim world, eventually extending to Europe, where coffee became a reason to gather socially. The first known coffeehouse was established in the Ottoman capital, Constantinople, in 1554 or 1555. From there, coffeehouse culture spread, becoming popular in major cities such as Cairo, Damascus, Paris and Venice. Modern cafes are giving this historical tradition a brand new twist. Instead of a space where adult men discuss politics under dim lighting, these modern cafes are visited regularly by everyone.
Still, the trend is anchored in the Middle East’s culture of hospitality, dating back to pre-Islamic Bedouin traditions and, later, the teachings of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad himself taught that “guests bring blessings, and those who honor them will be rewarded by God.” Bedouins would welcome guests without question. Only after three days was it acceptable to inquire what their business was in traveling through the area. This sacred value has been passed down for generations. When visiting a Middle Eastern or Muslim family’s home, hospitality is felt in the inviting demeanor of the hosts and by the food and drink they offer. That tradition extends to Middle Eastern-style cafes, where the atmosphere is warm, inviting and safe. The cafes have become the highly sought-after “third places” that they are by embracing historical tradition and values, all while mixing in modern elements.
Glancing at the exceptionally late hour and feeling the space slowly empty, Heiba and Sharabi wrap up their conversation with empty coffee cups and content hearts. The music quiets, and the gentle whirr of the espresso machine comes to a halt. Outside the cafe, conversations linger, and the stillness of the late night feels refreshing. “This does remind me of back home,” Heiba says, “there’s always something to do, there’s always somewhere to be.”
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