Yemeni coffee shop Qahwah House opening soon in Plaza Midwood
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Yemeni coffee shop Qahwah House will soft open this Thursday, Dec. 19, in Plaza Midwood, where Stroke used to be.
Why it matters: Owner Sulaiman Abidu tells Axios he's opening it as a late-night option for people who want a place to gather that's not centered on alcohol.
- "Charlotte doesn't have a nightlife outside of bars and hookah lounges," Abidu said. "I don't drink, I don't smoke, so I find myself in a pickle."
Dig in: The coffee is imported from Yemen and roasted in-house. In addition to Yemeni-style coffee and tea, the coffee shop has Turkish coffee and fruit refreshers.
- To snack on, it'll have Yemeni pastries like Sabaya, which is a flaky layered bread cake, and Khaliat Alnahl, a Yemeni dessert drizzled with honey.
The vibe: The 2,700-square-foot coffee shop seats about 90 people inside and about 30 on its outdoor patio.
- Apart from opening day, its hours of operation will be 6am-11pm Monday-Thursday, 6am-1am on Fridays, 7am-1am on Saturdays and 7am-11pm on Sundays.
- Hours might change during Ramadan.
Stop by: On opening day, Qahwah House will open at 1pm at 1318 Pecan Ave.
Abidu, who's a student at UNC-Charlotte, says he plans to use it as a place to hang out and study off-campus. "My room gets too boring and sometimes I don't want to study in a library," he said.
Zoom in: Abidu was born in Yemen and lived in Fayetteville before moving to Charlotte for school. He's currently getting his undergraduate degree in psychology and is trying to get into law school.
Zoom out: Qahwah House is a Yemeni coffee chain that originated in Michigan in 2017.
- It now has locations across the country, including New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Texas with other locations opening soon in Washington, D.C., Wisconsin and Indiana, according to its Instagram.
What's next: Abidu hopes to expand to more locations in North Carolina, including Raleigh and Chapel Hill.
Between the lines: Qahwah House is the second Yemeni-style café to open in the area.
- Haraz Coffee House opened on Central Avenue late last year and it's so popular it often has lines out the door. It's open until 11pm on weekdays and until midnight on weekends.
Go deeper: The 26 best coffee shops for working remotely in Charlotte
Editor's note: This story was originally published Sept. 17, 2024, and updated Dec. 16, 202,4 to reflect the business's new opening date.