New Johnson County coffee shop opening soon. But this one’s ‘a little different’
The coffee scene in the Kansas City metro offers many American-style choices — Messenger Coffee Co., The Roasterie and so forth.
When it comes to the rich spices and flavors of Arabic coffee, however, the list is far shorter. (Baba’s Pantry is one of the few that offers the drink.) Enter Turath Coffee, a forthcoming coffee shop in Overland Park that hopes to make Arabic coffee culture mainstream in the Midwest.
Waseem Nasser, one of the partners, hails from Palestine. He hopes his new spot at 9916 College Blvd. will attract customers who are craving something new.
“It’s more traditional drinks, pastries, bakery — the atmosphere, the decor, and so on,” he said. “That’s what we’re shooting for, to make it a little different.”
These drinks will hail from Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the wider Levant region: east of the Mediterranean Sea.
Figs, dates, pistachios, cardamom and other flavors loved in the region will be featured in the cafe’s drinks. It’ll offer lattes, matcha and other teas.
“A lot of special spices, special syrups,” Nasser said.
Middle Eastern pastries and cakes will be featured at Turath Coffee, which hopes to open at the beginning of next year.
Nasser is partnering with his brother, Loai Nasser. Sisters Sarah and Sawsan Awwad are joining the pact to bring the concept to life.
The two ladies worked at Starbucks and Summer Moon previously, giving them industry knowledge. Of course, neither place offers the kinds of lattes that Turath will.
Exact hours are up in the air, but Waseem Nasser is aiming to open it at 7 or 8 a.m., staying open around 10 p.m. during the week and until midnight on weekends.
“We like to stay late,” Nasser said, talking about his culture. “We’re going to be very close to JCCC, so hopefully we’ll attract a lot of students.”
Turath is Arabic for “heritage” or “tradition.”
If all goes well, Nasser hopes to see multiple Turath shops across the metro. Maybe beyond.
“That’s our goal: Just to make this Arabic coffee a thing here in the U.S.,” Nasser said. “We’re trying to make everything a little bit different than anything else.”
Farther south, Mocha Point Yemeni Coffee Co. will open at 8641 W. 135th St. in Overland Park. It’s expected to drop late this year or early next. Unlike Turath, its offerings will be specifically centered around Yemen.