Yemeni Coffee Brand Opens Cafe in Fairfax City

A Yemeni coffee brand has taken the first step in an expansion to the D.C. area. Haraz Coffee House kicked off a soft opening today (Monday) for its first location near the nation’s capital. The cafe is housed in Fairfax City’s Fairfax Junction, formerly known as the Westfair Shopping Center.

The new cafe is located at 11015 Lee Highway, right next to fellow newcomer The Alley, which began serving bubble tea out of the shopping center in November. Boasting “authentic flavors of Yemen,” Haraz’s menu features traditional ingredients like ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. Patrons can order options like Harazi Mufawar (coffee with cream and cardamom), Maleki (coffee with cream, ginger and cinnamon) and a multitude of other beverages.

“A cornerstone of [CEO Hamzah Nasser]’s vision is his commitment to sourcing organic coffee directly from Yemen,” the brand’s website says. “Haraz partners with Yemeni farmers, providing them with vital support and a sustainable market for their coffee.”

In-store, Haraz also offers pastries, such as the drizzled-with-Nutella Istanbul cheesecake and Bee Bites, which are slices of dough filled with cream cheese, toasted and drizzled with honey. The brand also offers a multitude of other items for sale, including coffee bean blends to-go, machines and more.

The new location is the latest for the rapidly expanding chain, which opened its first location in 2021. Haraz now boasts 19 locations nationwide, with plans coming for expansion into Canada and the Middle East. Like most of its locations, Haraz’s Fairfax City location is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Yemen has been credited as the birthplace of the modern coffee industry, though its production and distribution chains have been hampered by the country’s decade-old civil war. Another chain specializing in Yemeni coffee, Qamaria, opened its doors in Vienna last year.