Yemeni cafe to open soon in Seven Corners
Qahwah, a Yemeni coffee shop, is expected to open in Seven Corners within the next couple of weeks, as soon as it clears the inspection process.
The shop is located in a long vacant building at 6315A Leesburg Pike that once housed the Seven Corners Pub. After the pub closed in 2018, a Middle Eastern restaurant called Emessa occupied the space for a short time.
Along with coffee, Qahwah will serve tea, Middle Eastern desserts, and ice cream, says one of the managers, Ali Ahmed.
In addition to Qahwah, the building will be occupied by the Karaz Hookah Lounge, which is still under construction and will have an entrance on Castle Place. Qahwah and Karaz are separate businesses, but will share an interior door.
Ahmed, an immigrant from Yemen, wants to educate the public about the history of coffee and the role of Yemen in the coffee trade.
Mocha coffee beans originated in Yemen and were exported from Mocha, a port on the Red Sea. Mocha is a bold coffee with earthy tones, Ahmed says.
Related story: Pasha Castle, a Turkish dessert shop, opens in Annandale