Java lovers on Long Island have been enjoying lots of new coffee spots popping up, and now it’s Hicksville’s turn with the opening of MOTW Coffee.
The shop opened earlier this month at the new Soni Centre strip mall on South Broadway.
MOTW Coffee, which stands for Muslims of the World, started as an Instagram page in 2014 and grew into a community of over 700,000 followers, according to the organization’s website.
Founder Sajjad Shah wanted a tangible place for members to meet outside the digital world. The first MOTW Coffee shop opened in Indiana. The chain has grown to more than a dozen outposts nationwide.
Franchisee Muhammad Qureshi has been working on bringing the coffee shop to Long Island for about two years.
“It’s not a religious-only space or anything like that,” Qureshi said. “The idea is just to bring people together over amazing drinks and good conversations.”
The 1,700-square-foot space, with seating for 25 guests, feels elegant and warm, with blue velvet benches, soffit ceilings and murals.
The menu includes “Arabic-inspired twists and flavors,” Qureshi said, such as a date cardamom latte ($7.90 for a large). Get your caffeine fix with a Yemeni chai ($6.50) or pistachio latte ($7.40 for a large.) Caffeine-free drinks include the velvety Egyptian chamomile tea ($5 for a large).
Pastries range from a French toast muffin ($5.25) to a savory chicken empanada ($8).
Qureshi comes from a family of restaurateurs. His father owns Pakistani eatery Sunshine Restaurant, which has locations in Hicksville, Floral Park and Jackson Heights, Queens.
“I’m very blessed,” Qureshi said. “I was born in Queens, but I grew up on Long Island. There’s no other place I’d rather open the first [New York] location than somewhere close to home.”
MOTW Coffee, 350 S Broadway Units 6 & 7, Hicksville, (516) 342-6315, motw.coffee, Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday’s FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.