Yemeni coffee shop Sana’a Cafe is opening a location in Westwood Village, according to signage above the restaurant space. First reported by ToddRickAllen, the new location will be located at 939 Broxton Ave., formerly occupied by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, which closed in July 2024.
Primarily based in San Francisco, Sana’a Cafe has eight locations dotted along the California coast and one in Tacoma. The new Westwood location will be the third in the Los Angeles area, with locations in Hollywood and Lake Forest.
Sana’a Cafe offers a wide variety of espresso drinks and Yemeni specialties like Sana’ani, a coffee flavored with cardamom, or qishr, a drink made from coffee bean husks, cinnamon, and ginger. Visitors can also choose from a selection of pastries like rose milk cake and honeycomb, a traditional confection of sweet pull-apart bread filled with cream cheese and drizzled with honey.
Sana’a Cafe is aiming to open in the first week of March, according to Sadeq Alaqel, the operations manager at the new location.
“With the upcoming Westwood location, Sana’a Cafe is excited to introduce the neighborhood to its signature Yemeni coffee experience,” Alaqel said to What Now Los Angeles. “With its close proximity to UCLA, the new location is designed to be a welcoming gathering space for students, locals, and visitors alike.”
