Direct from Yemen

By Naperville Magazine
Appears in the December 2025 issue.

By Peter Gianopulos

An authentic lineup of coffees, teas, and iced beverages

This may be a Starbucks moment in the evolution of Yemeni coffee. Faris Almatrahi, cofounder of the rapidly expanding Arwa Yemeni Coffee chain, is convinced that a breakout is upon us. Yemeni coffee is about to go as mainstream as Dubai chocolates and Indian chai.

Are there challenges to importing a storied coffee culture with unique drinks that are mostly foreign American sippers? Absolutely. But if you’re a coffee lover of a certain age, you might recall gazing up at a Starbucks menu for the first time and feeling completely befuddled too. It all felt—it’s almost embarrassing to say this in retrospect—exciting to wander into a place that took its java so seriously. Which raises the question: When was the last that happened when you ordered a cup of joe? That’s what Arwa’s newest location in Naperville is designed to do: Bring back the tingles.

The look of the place? Stunning. Looks like the lobby of a five-star hotel. Traditional Yemeni wooden lattice work along the walls. Sand-swept hues. And lights shaped like the traditional hats worn by female coffee pickers. Even the name “Arwa” is rich with symbolism, as it honors Queen Arwa, the only woman in Yemeni history to hold both religious and political authority simultaneously.

But the main draw is the menu: an authentic lineup of coffees, teas, and iced beverages, all brewed from coffee beans imported directly from Yemen. Trying to order for the first time, you might experience an early-1990s Starbucks moment.

What’s a Mofawar? A spiced medium-roast coffee infused with cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, which is finished with sugar and milk for extra body. There’s also the Jubani, named after a region in Yemen, a light subtly floral blend of coffee beans and cascara (the dried skins of coffee berries). Or the Qishr (kish-er), a magic act that looks like coffee but tastes like a floral tea, as it’s made exclusively from the cascara rather than the coffee beans.

There are also adeni teas: milk-based black brews infused with a proprietary warm spice blends that’s spiked with a frothy cardamom-syrup. There are Yemeni lattes whose foam tops are stamped with the outline of a camel. Each drink tells its own story, part ancient, part modern.

After witnessing years of political strife in Yemen, Almatrahi and co-owners Yazan Soofi, Susan Shihab, and Nora Soofi launched the brand to help educate the world about Yemen’s centuries-old coffee culture. In Yemen, coffee beans are often grown at high altitudes, which yield deeply flavorful and richly aromatic brews. The beans used in Arwa’s coffee are dried the traditional way, in the glaring heat of the Middle Eastern sun, a bulwark against astringency. “We import Yemeni beans and use traditional brewing methods,” Almatrahi says, “because we want people to drink Yemeni coffee as it was meant to be enjoyed.”

In Yemen, coffee isn’t just a morning ritual; it acts as a kind of social glue. Coffee shops stay open late at night, serving as hubs for conversation and late-night hospitality. Arwa in Naperville will do the same, while offering an array of sweet and savory offerings, including chicken pies, sesame-topped pastries filled with cream cheese, Dubai-style cheesecakes, and even European-style honey cakes. The large communal tables encourage strangers to become friends.

“I grew up in the Naperville area,” says Anah Khan, chief strategy and operations officer of Arwa’s Chicago-area location, “so this is special to me. I see Arwa as more than a coffee shop; it’s a communal space that highlights our culture and transports you into a different world.”

Arwa’s employees help guide customers through Yemen’s complex flavor spectrum. Want something bold and complex? Go with the sanaani coffee. Are you matcha drinker? Try the ultra-smooth data matcha, made with white chocolate and a date syrup. And if you’re interested in a Yemeni riff on double-caramel macchiato? Order the sweetest treat on the menu: a sand dune latte, a decadent swirl of honey, caramel, vanilla topped with whip cream.

So watch out Starbucks. Arwa has arrived and brought the magic of Yemen.

Photos: Arwa Yemeni Coffee; Bill Wilson