Bryn Mawr Couple Set to Open Yemeni Coffee Chain ‘Haraz’ in University City
Jade Doumani
While in recent years Philadelphia has seen the opening of a handful of Yemeni restaurants, Bryn Mawr-based husband and wife entrepreneurs Hamza Shaikh and Farah Khan noticed a distinct lack of a space in the city dedicated to celebrating Yemen’s rich coffee heritage. Now, the couple have decided to change that. In early 2025, they are slated to open the city’s first Yemeni specialty coffee shop: Haraz Coffee House at 3421 Chestnut Street in University City.
Above is an artist’s rendering of the interior of Yemeni specialty coffee shop Haraz Coffee House, which is set to open at 3421 Chestnut Street in University City in early 2025. Photo courtesy: Hamza Shaikh.
Yemeni coffee elicits a profound reverence in the hearts and minds of caffeinistas from all over the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) region. Centuries ago, Yemeni merchants were the first to source coffee beans from Ethiopia. Yemenite farmers then started cultivating the beans for the first time in human history within the lush valleys of the Haraz Mountains before shipping it through Yemen’s port city of Mokha on the Red Sea coast.
Coffee was thus introduced to the broader Middle East and beyond. Now, it has become a fixture of daily life for people worldwide. Yemen is renowned as the birthplace of the international coffee trade, and to this day, the Arab and Muslim world recognizes Yemenite coffee for its quality, heritage, and tradition.
A Dream from Dearborn
Haraz Coffee House originally started out as a stand-alone shop in Dearborn, Michigan, a city known for having one of the largest SWANA diasporas in the world. But with the success of the first store, its Yemeni founder Hamzah Nasser decided to franchise, with locations opening in Plano, Texas; Orland Park, Illinois; East Lansing, Michigan; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Now, Bryn Mawr residents Shaikh, 43, and Khan, 40, have decided to open a franchise here in Philadelphia.
Entrepreneurs Hamza Shaikh, at right, and Farah Khan, at left, of Bryn Mawr plan to open Haraz Coffee House in 2025. Photo courtesy: Hamza Shaikh
A lawyer with a passion for baking, Khan had dreamt of opening a cafe of her own. When her children became school-aged, she and her husband decided to pursue that dream. “We were going to open a simple cafe but when we experienced the Yemeni coffee houses we looked into them more,” Shaikh, a neurointerventional surgeon, told Al-Bustan News. In 2023, the Pakistani American couple visited Nasser’s shop in Dearborn, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“The sumptuousness of this unique cultural experience struck a chord with us,” Shaikh said. “It wasn’t just about coffee; it was about creating a third space — where people from all over America could connect with a rich tradition dating back centuries that little seem to know outside of the wider Muslim world. This experience was special, and we knew we had to share it with our community back in Philly.”
What drew the pair to Haraz Coffee House, in particular, was that it was known in Dearborn for its welcoming multicultural ambiance and its organic, farmer-direct sun-dried coffee beans sourced from local farmers in the Haraz Mountains in the Sarat range. “What stood out was the café’s commitment to high-quality coffee and their ability to blend Middle Eastern aesthetics with a modern café vibe,” Shaikh said, adding, “This is why we felt Haraz was the perfect fit for Philly.”
Bringing Haraz to Philly
Shaikh and Khan envision a branch for Haraz Coffee House that fuses Philadelphia’s charm with the iconic architectural styles found in the Middle East. “We plan to incorporate tiles imported from Turkey, backlit arches, and ornate handrails crafted locally,” Shaikh explained. He hopes the coffeehouse will offer a warm, inclusive space for students, professionals, and families while serving as a cultural hub for the city’s SWANA community. “Our drinks and desserts will showcase Yemeni flavors, but the space is for everyone — whether you’re Middle Eastern or just curious about our culture,” Shaikh said.
While Haraz will debut in University City, the couple has big plans for the city. “We’ve secured the first right of refusal for other locations in Philadelphia,” Shaikh revealed. “My wife is also partnering with other women from the community to open another Haraz in Fishtown, which will be entirely women-owned.”
Construction is currently underway at the site of Haraz Coffee House in University City. Photo courtesy: Hamza Shaikh.
Entrepreneurial Challenges in Philadelphia
Of course, opening a specialty coffee house in Philadelphia has had its fair share of hurdles. Shaikh mentioned the high cost of securing and renovating spaces and finding a reliable construction team to deliver on the aesthetic drawn from Islamic architecture as sources of frustration. However, he said that the city has been supportive. “The permitting process and city officials have been easy to work with, and all other hurdles have been worked out to the satisfaction of everyone involved.”
As a Muslim involved in Muslims Serve, a Philadelphia-based hunger relief organization, Shaikh is aware of the challenges of introducing a distinctly Yemeni brand in a post-9/11 America, but he remains steadfast and optimistic, believing in the ethos of the City of Brotherly Love that allowed him to build a life for his family here. “University City’s diverse, student-driven community makes it the perfect place to start. Our plan is to let our coffee and hospitality speak for themselves.”
Opening and Beyond
As Haraz Coffee House prepares for its projected opening in the first quarter of 2025, Shaikh and Khan are rolling out a social media campaign with plans for a private soft opening in place. “We’ll invite leaders, friends, and influencers from all over Philly to experience the space and spread the word to their network in the SWANA community and beyond,” Shaikh said. “We want Haraz to be a space that brings people together.”
For Shaikh and Khan, the coffee shop is more than a business — it’s their way of honoring Yemen’s legacy by creating a meaningful connection between cultures in Philadelphia. “We hope people walk away with not just a great cup of coffee but a connection with Yemen’s storied heritage in the history of coffee, which began centuries ago in the mountains of Haraz.”
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Jade Doumani is an Eisner-nominated Lebanese American writer, researcher, editor, and academic pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of St. Andrews. His writing has been featured in Business Insider, Newsweek, The Cincinnati Review, Strange Horizons, Nightmare Magazine, The Griffith Review, Queen’s Quarterly, and New York University's Library of Arabic Literature.