Yemeni Cafe Opens on East Side

Haraz Coffee House, 2900 N. Oakland Ave. Photo taken Feb. 25, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.

For the past six months, East Side residents have watched as the commercial storefront at 2900 N. Oakland Ave. transformed from vacant to vibrant. With the addition of a service counter, gold-edged tables, and finally, a gleaming espresso machine, the former gray box space became Haraz Coffee House.

The new cafe, which began its soft opening on Monday, is part of a Michigan-based chain that’s adding to the growing number of Yemeni coffee shops in the Milwaukee area. The East Side location is led by local franchisees Madhi Hassan and Hasan Abuasi, who told Urban Milwaukee they were inspired by the burgeoning interest in Yemeni coffee.

A caffeine-packed menu, evening hours and plenty of seating make the business an ideal destination for nearby college students, and Hassan looks forward to their business, but hopes the cafe also attracts a wide variety of people, from families to professionals.

“We’re trying to bring back the third place,” Hassan said, noting that many local cafes tend to close around 5 p.m., if not earlier. “If you’re not at school, work or home, this is your place to hang out.”

The extensive menu at Haraz covers the basics—cortados, macchiatos, mochas—but truly shines when it comes to signature offerings. That includes a sunshine-colored saffron latte, cardamom-scented adeni tea and qishr, which is brewed with coffee husks instead of beans.

Haraz even spices up its brewed coffee, serving pour-over and French press preparations, along with Saudi-style coffee—blonde roast infused with saffron and cardamom, poured from a golden carafe—and Turkish coffee, finely ground and made in a long-handled pot called a cezve.

For non-coffee drinkers, the cafe serves refreshers in flavors like mango-dragon fruit, pomegranate and pink coconut. Haraz also offers unique pastries including cheesecakes in flavors like pistachio, Ferrero baklava and Dubai chocolate (a take on the viral candy bar).

“We do have a mix of very popular, well-known desserts, but we’re also trying to bring a Middle Eastern touch to it,” Hassan said.

That philosophy extends to the broader menu, which aims to introduce customers to new experiences, providing context and education along the way.

“One thing we’re focusing on is for our employees to have really good knowledge of the history of coffee in Yemen, as well as how things are cultivated and prepared,” Hassan said. “They’re able, then, to break down and simplify the menu for customers.”

Haraz is one of several new and upcoming Yemeni cafes in the area, each offering authentic drinks and snacks rooted in Middle Eastern culture. Yemen, in particular, is known as one of the world’s oldest coffee regions, with a distinct process for cultivating, drying and roasting its beans.

Haraz, currently in its soft opening phase, is operating from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Hours may extend later following its grand opening in April.

Photos

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