Yemeni coffee is exploding in the U.S. Here comes another KC-area spot
If all goes according to plan, three Arabic coffee shops will open in Johnson County within weeks of one another.
It’s a significant number considering there were zero last year.
Mocha Point Yemeni Coffee Co. recently opened at 8641 W. 135th St., and Turath is on its way at 9916 College Blvd. Now comes the latest: R Qahwah Cafe at 7317 W. 95th St. in Overland Park.
Rufaida Elmansi is bringing R Qahwah to the former Mud Pie spot. If everything goes according to plan, she’ll open at the end of the month.
The “R” represents Elmansi’s first initial. Qahwah means “coffee” in Arabic.
While Yemeni coffee is booming in the U.S., Elmansi had the idea for years and has been working behind the scenes to bring the drink to the metro. She figured the trio of coffee openings is a combination of coincidence and increasing interest in the West.
“It is exploding everywhere,” Elmansi said. “The big cities … LA, New York, Chicago … this city deserves something new.”
Coffee as a beverage is believed to have originated in Mocha, Yemen. Europeans who tried the beans thought they had a strong, chocolatey taste, which is why most coffee shops in the U.S. that offer “mochas” contain a splash of chocolate syrup.
Elmansi described the coffee as more bold and earthy.
The base of almost all her drinks will be her specialty Yemeni coffee, which will be roasted locally in Kansas City.
She’ll make lattes, cappuccinos, drip coffee and more. Adeni tea, herbal tea and matcha are on the menu, too.
Her family members will help her provide Middle Eastern desserts like m’tabbak, a pastry similar to baklava. She started to list off a few more but decided she didn’t want to give too much away.
Elmansi was born in Brazil but is half-Palestinian. She grew up drinking coffee with her grandmother and has visited coffee shops in the Middle East, as well as Yemeni spots in other cities.
“I would have these amazing drinks, and for a while I’d ask, ‘Why don’t we have this in Kansas City?’” Elmansi said.
So, she set out to open an oasis for the Arabic community, as well as a spot for cultures to mingle.
At first, she considered franchising some of the other Yemeni coffee shops in bigger U.S. cities, but she began to realize that she wouldn’t have as much say in her shop. So, she began to reach out to other Yemeni coffee shops for consultation.
When she felt ready, she moved forward with R Qahwah.
“This has been brewing for a while,” she said. “It’s going to be amazing, strong coffee.”
Elmansi sent renderings of the space, which has touches of gold, marble and leather. She’s going for a warm, luxurious look in the space.
“I’m excited for my customers to come in. I hope they can feel the love and the attention I put in my shop,” she said. “I’m thinking of every single little detail. You name it, I’ve thought of it.”
R Qahwah will hold about 40 people. She still needs to play with exact hours, but she plans to be open in the evening.
While many coffee shops in KC close before or around 5 p.m., most coffee shops in the Middle East are open late at night. But Glmansi needs to see what she has time for, first.
Even with being the third such coffee shop in the metro, Glmansi hopes her shop will be a destination for Overland Park and beyond.
“I want to be a place that you would love to come by. Leaving your house you get excited: ‘oh my gosh I’m going to R Qahwah Cafe.’”
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 5:00 AM.