The latest trend in Charlotte is spreading with a buzz: a literal caffeine buzz. New Yemeni and Middle Eastern coffee shops are springing up throughout the city, bringing new flavors to the city's social and culinary scene.
Qahwah House — qahwah, which means coffee in Arabic — is located in Plaza Midwood. This coffee shop specializes in Yemeni coffee. Yemen, one of the birthplaces of coffee, produces far less coffee than other countries like Colombia and Brazil, but its preparation method makes it unique.
“Yemeni coffee has a certain taste and aroma to it,” said Sulaiman Abidu, the 23-year-old manager of Qahwah House. “It almost has a cocoa taste. It’s almost like chocolate. It’s organic. It’s premium. There are no chemicals, no additives. This is how coffee is supposed to taste.”
Abidu is reimaging Charlotte’s social scene, which is known for its bars, breweries and clubs, many of which stay open until 2 a.m. Qahwah House also coming into the nighttime market, stays open until midnight and does not serve alcohol.
“You have nothing but a hookah lounge or a bar to take your friend,” Abidu said. “It's a safe space. It’s a calm space. It's a relaxing space, and it invites everybody.”
Qahwah House is one of many Middle Eastern coffee shops that recently opened in the Charlotte area. Just a five-minute walk from Qahwah House stands Haraz Coffee House, another Yemeni coffee shop.
“You come in here, you experience the Arabic culture — that tradition it feels different, not just your regular coffee shop that you go in and just do some work,” said Saeed Salah, the manager of Haraz Coffee House. “This is more of a space where you interact more with friends and family that you're bringing together.”
The scent of rich cardamom spice commonly used in Yemeni coffee fills Haraz Coffee House.
“It’s not your rigid, regular drip coffee,” Salah said. “They are made on the stove, whipped in the pot — how we would do it way back then, how we would do it at home.”
Haraz Coffee House opened in 2023, the first Yemeni coffee shop in Charlotte. An estimated 20,000 people from the Mideast live in the region. Haraz has become a place for locals to meet up, enjoy drinks and pastries, and converse or play board games.
“We wanted Charlotte to experience some of the culture, some of our culture,” Salah said. “We are from Yemen, and we’re used to our shahi and our drinks. We would love to share with everybody — to experience that flavor, to experience a different taste and coffee.”
Earlier this month, Vavela Cafe opened its doors in the University City area. Vavela specializes in Turkish coffee and pastries. Bayt Almocha, another Yemeni coffee shop, is set to open in NoDa later this year.
Saleh and Abidu both say the success of local Mideast coffee shops comes from treating people like family and letting people experience Middle Eastern culture through coffee.
Nobody knew what Yemen was,” Abidu said. “Well, now, even if they did, they only knew us as close to Saudi Arabia. Now they see these coffee shops. People are intrigued.”
As for Haraz Coffee House, they are planning to open a second Charlotte location in South End next month.
