Farah Khan and her husband, Hamza Shaikh, first stumbled upon Yemeni coffee shops — late-night spots that serve Middle Eastern food and drinks — during a trip to Michigan a few years ago.
"There are a lot of specifically Yemeni coffee shops there and we went to almost all of them when we were there," Khan said. "We saw how busy they were, and that they were very trendy and we really liked the product that they were offering and noticed that we don't have anything like that in the Philadelphia area."
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It was a new experience for Kahn and Shaikh, but they found the coffee shops' long hours, large dessert menus and focus on table service appealing. Now, they've opened one of their own in University City. Haraz Coffee House, at 3421 Chestnut St., serves traditional Middle Eastern drinks made from sun-dried coffee beans.
Haraz is part of a Yemini coffee shop chain that has 17 locations, including storefronts in Detroit and New York City, two cities where Yemeni coffee shops are flourishing. The Philadelphia franchise run by Khan and Shaikh held its soft launch on March 30, with an official opening set for April 17.
Haraz currently is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — a closing time that is later than many coffee shops in the city. Eventually, it may open at 6 a.m. and remain open to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
Khan said she hopes it will serve as a third space — a social gathering spot separate from work and home — that is open late but doesn't center around drinking alcohol.
"We come from a culture where we don't drink at night," Khan said. "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."
Khan and Shaikh grew up in the United States, but their families are from Pakistan.
Haraz serves a variety made-to-order drinks that are heated on the stove, including Adeni chai, Turkish coffee served in copper pots and Jubani, which is made with coffee husks and a spice blend. The coffee shop also serves espresso bar drinks like pistachio lattes, plus non-caffeinated refreshers.
Food options center on various desserts, including rose, pistachio and saffron milk cakes. There are fudgy mosaic cakes, which feature a pattern and are served in a triangular shape, and a brownie made from a Dubai chocolate bar, a viral treat stuffed with pistachio and shredded Filo pastry. Khan plans to have desserts available until the shop closes each evening.
"When you go to a coffee shop in the evening, they're usually out of all their baked items, so you could only just end up getting a drink maybe," Khan said. "Our hope is that we will have those desserts out at night, as well."
Later this year, Khan plans to open another Haraz in Fishtown. This one will be entirely owned by women.
