A Middle Eastern-inspired coffee franchise that has drawn hundreds of thousands of views on social media has opened a new store in Laurel.
Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. opened May 15 in the Laurel Park shopping center along Van Dusen Road, serving coffee made with 100% Yemeni beans along with traditional Middle Eastern sweets such as basbousa and baklava. The chain is known for its fusion of drinks that bridge the gap between classic Middle Eastern coffee traditions and modern Western tastes.
“The idea is to bring a sort of unique brand of coffee to the area … whether it’s teas, coffees, things that aren’t as common in other places,” said Mobeen Vaib, a co-owner at the Laurel location.
The cafe marks the first location in Maryland, with three locations in Vienna, Glen Allen and Sterling, Virginia, and more than 40 franchise locations in 15 states.
The brand has found success on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where thousands of people have used its hyperlocal hashtags to go viral through videos featuring its highly stylized drinks and desserts. Its cafes also attract Gen Z and millennials because they stay open later than most coffee chains. The Laurel location closes at 10 p.m. during the week and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Vaib said some of the owners noticed that high school, college and post-college students don’t have many places to go after 8 p.m. He added that coffee shops such as Qamaria work well for nighttime hangouts.
“We have a relaxed environment that’s authentic as well,” said co-owner Salah Ayoubi. “That was super important to us.”
The store in Laurel contains a prayer space, meeting room, floor seating and nook seating featuring Middle Eastern-inspired furniture and decor.
Ayoubi and Vaib said they were excited by the response they had received from the community so far, adding that the grand opening event drew a large crowd.
“The early response has been great in the community,” Vaib said. “It was crazy here.”
Ayoubi sees the store potentially helping revitalize the Laurel Park shopping center with increased traffic.
“We brought some life back to this area,” Ayoubi said. “Some of the shop owners were here thanking us for having this shop, bringing out more folks in the area.”
Customers, too, said they’re glad the store is bringing something new to Laurel’s coffee scene.
Aneeqa Tajammala of Laurel said Qamaria is within walking distance of her home, and she is excited to have “something spacious and nice, [with] good coffee and pastries” open nearby.
Ayoubi said the cafe was designed to become both a cultural and community gathering space.
“There’s a great community here as well, and it just felt like a place that needed a little bit of culture, and, you know, we felt like this could be a great addition to the community,” Ayoubi said.