Yemeni-style coffee shop opens in Carytown
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
I now want my kitchen to look like this. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
Sabrina here. I can't stop going back to the new coffee shop in Carytown called Griffin.
Why it matters: Hanging out there feels like being at your favorite family member's house.
Driving the news: Griffin, a Yemeni-style coffee shop from the people who own a Petersburg cafe with the same name, recently took over the Claudia's Bake Shop space in front of Tokyo Market.
- It soft-opened this month and is hoping for a grand opening in the coming weeks, according to staff.
The big picture: The coffee is delicious, its pastries — which include baklava and carrot cake — are decadent and the decor of Arabic-style sofas and a wall of coffee pots make the gathering space feel intimate.
- But one of the real stars is owner Faris Al Sanabani, who lights up when asked about sand-brewed Turkish coffee (which is on the menu).
- He showed my friends and me the centuries-old art of nestling a small metal pot of ground coffee and water into hot sand to brew the drink, and shared how the tradition symbolizes friendship and community.
Zoom in: We later saw him going up to each customer, striking up conversations and offering fresh chocolate chip cookies.
The bottom line: Griffin is as much a cultural experience as it is a caffeine stop.
If you go: Peep the menu here, try the Turkish or Husk coffee and chat with the staff.
- Griffin's Carytown location is open daily, 10am-4pm.