by Jade Doumani

While in recent years Philadelphia has seen a handful of Yemeni restaurants open, Bryn Mawr-based husband and wife entrepreneurs Hamza Shaikh and Farah Khan noticed a distinct lack of a space in the city dedicated to celebrating Yemen’s rich coffee heritage. Now, the couple have decided to change that. In early 2025, they are slated to open the city’s first Yemeni specialty coffee shop: Haraz Coffee House at 3421 Chestnut Street in University City.

As Christmas approaches in Philadelphia, traditional American Christmas customs abound, including shopping frenzies and bulk Amazon hauls. Yet, these customs often feel foreign to the city’s Palestinian Christians who find themselves longing for the traditions they observed in Palestine.