The interior of Siraj Coffee House takes shape ahead of its opening in Visalia. Photo courtesy of Siraj Coffee House

Yemeni coffee shops are growing in popularity from Fresno to Visalia and beyond.

Yemen, which shares a border with Saudi Arabia to its north, is a major coffee distributor. Its port city Al Mokha is the main hub of the global coffee trade.

“The name ‘mocha’ came from that port where people were mixing coffee and chocolate beans,” said Omar Abdelkhale, co-owner of Siraj Coffee House, which is set to open soon in Visalia.

What sets Yemeni coffee apart is a slower extraction process and the addition of spices, Abdelkhale said.

“Yemen is very known for aromatics, he said. “Cardamom, cloves, saffron, nutmeg and whatnot.”

Siraj will feature both Yemeni and Italian coffee menus and offer a variety of low and no-caffeine drinks, like teas, fresh-pressed juices and Brazilian lemonade.

Abdelkhale and his business partner Arafat Arrahimi, co-owner of Visalia’s Smash Town Burgers, plan to open more Yemeni coffee and tea shops throughout the Valley but for now they’re focused on staffing their first shop.

Siraj Coffee House will be located at 2145 W. Whitendale Ave., in a brick storefront that once housed The Frosted Muffin.

Visalia’s first Yemeni coffee experience is part of a larger wave, with such coffee shops spreading rapidly across the U.S. and earning coverage in outlets from Bon Appétit to Food & Wine. 

Traditional Yemeni desserts and other pastries will be baked in-house — including a layered pastry honey cake called sabaya, as well as a cream cheese-filled, pull-apart honeycomb bread.

Bab al-Yemen Cafe on West Shaw Avenue was first to the trend in Fresno when it opened in 2021. Qamaria Yemeni Coffee is a Michigan-based franchise with dozens of locations throughout the country. Marketplace at El Paseo has one cafe and drive-thru location, and another one is coming soon to Willow and Herndon avenues in Fresno.