Brookline will soon get a new kind of buzz.
Local healthcare professional Zaid Baara has applied for a food and beverage license to open Arwa Yemeni Coffee at 1333 Beacon St, reports Brookline News. The café will be nestled between Lee’s Burgers and Maguro in the heart of Coolidge Corner.
Baara is franchising the Texas-based chain, which launched in late 2022 and has already expanded to five locations across Texas and Illinois, with additional cafés planned for Florida, Georgia, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Each outpost blends Yemen’s centuries-old coffee traditions with modern café culture.
The menu will feature both traditional Yemeni favorites and contemporary specialties. Highlights include Jubani, a spiced coffee blend; Mofawar, a sweet, medium-roast infused with cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger; and Qishr, a spiced, caffeine-light coffee alternative brewed from coffee husks.
Baara envisions the café as a community hub, staying open until 1 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. At a licensing hearing on Wednesday, he explained that the idea is to create “a safe space for individuals who choose not to participate in the activities of the nightlife when it comes to alcohol consumption or going out.”
With seating for 36 guests, Arwa Yemeni Coffee aims to attract young adults, students, and anyone seeking conversation over caffeine rather than cocktails. An opening date has not yet been set.
