Fresno’s coffee scene is filling up with cardamom-spiced lattes, honeycomb pastries and drinks tracing back to the country credited with brewing the world’s first cup. Several cafes have opened across the city over the past year, with more locations on the way.
Here’s what you should know about the growing Yemeni coffee scene in Fresno:
Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. opened in the summer of 2025 at The Marketplace at El Paseo near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue, serving traditional Yemeni drinks flavored with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. The shop stays open until 11 p.m. or midnight daily.A second Qamaria location is on the way after the franchise signed a lease to move into the former Kunisama at the southwest corner of Willow and Herndon avenues. Kunisama closed in the summer of 2025.Mokha Harbor Cafe is at 3173 West Shaw Ave. Some people may remember this coffee shop by its former name, Bab Al-Yemen.It recently got a new owner, but still serves Yemenese coffee and other treats. The new name was inspired by Mokha, a port city in Yemen, which was a major hub of the early coffee trade.Sana’a Cafe, a Yemeni coffee chain that started in San Francisco in 2023, plans to open its first Fresno location in early 2027 at 4470 West Shaw Ave. — a roughly 6,000-square-foot space near Costco Wholesale.The Sana’a Cafe chain has grown to 16 locations across California and one in Washington state, and director of acquisitions T.J. Singh said the company plans to open 20 more locations over the next year.Rumi Coffee had its soft opening the weekend of July 31, 2026, at 7406 N. Fresno St., and sister bakery Rumi Baklava has been open since May at 2767 W. Shaw Ave. Owner Hamed Alghazali is Yemeni, but most recipes come from Syrian head baker Anas Hamad.Alghazali bought Fabiano Coffee Roasters from Karen DeSousa in 2023 and has been building a Mediterranean lineup ever since, selling baklava made with pistachios, walnuts and cashews alongside the top-selling kunafa, a cheese-based dessert.Fresno is also home to Yemeni bakery Sabaya Hut at 2420 E. Ashlan Ave. It’s named after the pastry made with 25 layers of dough with butter between them served with honey.Restaurants are opening in Fresno that also serve Yemeni coffee alongside their food, including Al-Hadara Restaurant & Cafe at 5048 N. Blackstone Ave. and Maraseem Grill at 2648 E. Ashlan Ave.Fresno is home to roughly 1,200 Yemeni residents — one of California’s largest Yemeni populations, trailing only Oakland — helping fuel demand for these cafes.
Original stories by Bethany Clough, Gagandeep Singh and Amber Hair.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
A traditional Yemeni coffee called mufawar, prepared in the Turkish style, along with pastries such as honeycomb, served at Bab-Al-Yemen, now called Mokha Harbor Cafe, in Fresno, in this file photo from 2021. JOHN WALKER The Fresno Bee 
Asiyah Karim, left, and her husband Ibrahim Dastagir enjoy Yemeni coffee drinks and a sweet treat at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. in northwest Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com 
A honeycomb pastry and coffee served up at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. in northwest Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
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