Rochester’s first Yemeni coffee shop is already at work on location number two.
Layali Coffee House, which opened in Henrietta in February, is under construction at 749 Park Ave. It will be nestled in the Somerton Park building, which also houses Baker Street Bread Co., F. Oliver’s and Pretty on Park nail salon.
While the surrounding blocks are already home to a handful of coffee shops, co-owner Ibrahim Hussein believes Layali will bring something unique to the area. “Layali is a completely different atmosphere,” he said. His partners in the business are Ahmed Rashed, Muhanned Ibrahim and Mohamed Mohamed.
The Park Avenue location will be a 1,600-square-foot space, substantially smaller than the Henrietta location. It will have a similar look, though, with comfortable upholstered furniture, dramatic lighting and a chic neutral color scheme. “We’ll add some touches,” Hussein said. “It’ll be even better.”
The coffees at Layali are single-origin high-grade coffees that come from high elevations in Yemen; unroasted green coffee beans are shipped to Rochester, where they are roasted by a local roaster twice a week.
The menu appeals to both Arabic and American palates. Hot and iced espresso beverages range from the ubiquitous iced pumpkin spiced latte to the Arabic-influenced iced pistachio latte. There’s also traditional Adeni tea − black tea with Arabic spices and milk − and matcha tea drinks. To go with the beverages, Layali serves a variety of cakes, pastries and desserts.
Layali means “nights,” and it stays open late – until 11 p.m. weekdays and midnight on weekends. That’s the case with most American-style Yemeni coffeehouses, which provide a place to socialize without alcohol. They originated in Michigan, which has a large Arab population, and are growing in popularity around the country.
The target opening date is in December.
Tracy Schuhmacher has been food and drink reporter for the D&C for the past 10 years. Notice an eatery open or close near you? Email her at TracyS@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Yemeni coffee house coming to Park Ave. in Rochester
Reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
