Yemeni coffee shop opens in Johnson County: Blackberry matcha, floral lattes
Inside a new Johnson County coffee shop, baristas serve trays full of lattes in tall, skinny glasses and fancifully decorated cakes.
It’s packed, especially considering how close to 5 p.m. it is, but Middle Eastern cultures are accustomed to drinking coffee later in the day. To accommodate, R. Qahwah Cafe will serve lattes even after the sun goes down.
In case readers weren’t already counting, R. Qahwah is the third Arabic coffee shop to pop up in the Kansas City metro in the past few months.
Mocha Point Yemeni Coffee Co. came first, opening in February at 8641 W. 135th St. Turath Coffee, 9916 College Blvd., sells coffee from the wider Levant region and opened in March.
R. Qahwah, which opened just days ago at 7317 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, specifically sells Yemeni coffee.
Mocha, Yemen, is believed to be the birthplace of coffee as a beverage. Beans from that region have a slightly different taste than typical American coffee, and baristas in Arabic coffee shops add different spices and flavors.
On a late Friday afternoon, steady lines filled the space. Customers walked around the space searching for open tables, which were hard to come by. Owner Rufaida Elmansi bounced between the espresso machine, the kitchen and taking orders.
In a previous interview with The Star, Elmansi said she long desired to bring her culture’s coffee to Overland Park. Meanwhile, it was steadily gaining popularity in the U.S.
“It is exploding everywhere,” Elmansi said. “The big cities … LA, New York, Chicago … this city deserves something new.”
At R. Qahwah, customers can sip a variety of lattes, matchas and more.
The Midnight Summer latte ($9) is Middle Eastern floral-flavored and topped with a flower garnish. Its classic Yemeni latte is $7.50, and it offers a peanut butter latte for $9.
Matcha flavors include blackberry dream, sassy guava and coconut (all $10).
To munch on: macaroon ($6), asawer kaak (a date cookie, $1.50), baklava (prices vary), cake slices ($6.50) and more.
For now, it’s open every day except Tuesdays, from 3 to 9 p.m. Asked whether Elmansi would expand hours, she said it would depend on whether or when they could hire more staff.