Arwa Yemeni Coffee opened its doors to the Dallas community in December 2022 on the corner of South Greenville Avenue and Centennial Boulevard, paying tribute to Yemeni culture in its name and design.
Arwa comes from Queen Arwa, who ruled over Yemen from 1067-1138 as the first-ever Islamic queen. Queen Arwa hailed from the Haraz region of Yemen, an area famous for its superior coffee beans.
“Queen Arwa was a just and intelligent woman who ensured the people of Yemen flourished during her reign,” says co-owner Nora Soofi. “This aligns with our mission of reviving Yemeni coffee and aiding farmers across Yemen to flourish once again.”
Soofi is one of four owners at Arwa Yemeni, along with Faris Almatrahi, Susan Shihab and Yazan Soofi, all of whom share the common goal of bringing Yemeni culture to Dallas.
“We wanted the DFW community to experience Yemeni hospitality,” Soofi said. “Experience a little bit of our culture, taste some of our food, visualize some of our architecture and of course taste our great quality Yemeni coffee and tea.”
Arwa Yemeni ensures that each drink served is a representation of their culture.
“These high-quality beans are characterized by their unique aroma and undertones of chocolate and fruity flavors,” Soofi says. “With every sip, it’s almost as if you were tasting the highly elevated, steep mountain terraces it was grown on.”