Haraz Coffee House, the cafe chain that specializes in Yemeni coffee and pastries, will open its second location in the city on Friday in Fishtown.
The shop at 23 West Girard Ave. is part of a growing trend of Yemeni cafes in the United States that offer traditional coffee from the Middle Eastern country, which is considered the birthplace of the global coffee industry in the 15th century. The shops are known for their imported, sun-dried beans that give coffee a fruity and wine-like taste with hints of chocolate. They also operate from morning until night, offering an alcohol-free third place.
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Beyond Yemen's traditional mufawar coffee — a fragrant medium roast with cardamom and sweetened, condensed milk — the menu at Haraz includes Adeni milk teas, flavored frappes, matcha drinks, an espresso bar and other Middle Eastern coffees.
The Fishtown shop will be led by mother and daughter Zehra Wamiq and Enaas Sultan, who will run the bakery. Pastries include pistachio cheesecake, Tahini chocolate cake, Dubai chocolate brownies and a rotating selection of tarts and Yemeni desserts. Sultan also will host private afternoon tea events at the cafe.
Haraz Coffee House was founded in Michigan in 2021 by Yemeni entrepreneur Hamzeh Nasser, who expanded to more than 30 locations in the United States. The company has more than 180 cafes in development.
Philly's first Haraz Coffee House opened in University City in April. Franchise owners Farah Khan and her husband, Hamza Shaikh, said they learned about the chain while visiting Michigan and wanted to bring that type of environment to Philly.
"We come from a culture where we don't drink at night," Khan said in April. "So, sometimes we just want to go hang out at a place where there's no drinking going around just because the atmosphere changes when you have alcohol around."
More Haraz cafes are planned in Philly, but the store has not announced the other upcoming locations.
The Haraz in Fishtown will be open Sundays through Thursdays from 7 or 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday hours will be 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and the cafe will be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The grand opening on Friday will have free mufawar and Adeni, as well as pastries and food tastings by Enaas, henna tattoos and 15% off every purchase.