do not drink alcohol<\/a> for religious reasons. Almassudi said Bayt Almocha offers an alcohol-free, alternative nighttime activity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s better to go have coffee where you can focus on family, friends and enjoying life without having to have alcohol,\u201d Almassudi said. \u201cIn our religion, we don\u2019t drink alcohol. \u2026 We\u2019re all used to hanging with family and friends over a pot of tea or a pot of coffee, and now we\u2019re opening up the cafes to introduce it to others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bayt Almocha has locations across the country. Almassudi said the shop aims to share Yemeni cuisine and culture through its Ann Arbor location, where founder Abdulla Alysofi grew up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brewed the first coffee, cultivated the first coffee and introduced flavor into coffee, and introduced culture and coffee to the West,\u201d Almassudi said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the main reasons we felt comfortable (coming to Ann Arbor). \u2026 This is the home around the same neighborhood where the original founder, Abdulla, grew up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nUniversity of Michigan alum Mahmoud Issa, franchisee of Jabal\u2019s Ann Arbor location, told The Daily that the shop\u2019s late hours are intended to allow students to study, take meetings or freely stop by.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the hardest time studying outside of one of the Michigan buildings,\u201d Issa said. \u201cIf you went to any of these coffee shops, they were always either super full, or they were closed by 4 p.m., 5 p.m.\u2029So, we want to create a place that you have class ending at three, then you can come to Jabal at five and study until 10 or 11 or midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an interview with The Daily, LSA freshman Ana Juricic, who frequents Yemeni coffee shop Bun Chai, said she enjoys its matcha and thinks its ambience creates a productive atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got recommended by a friend to come here to try their matcha, and since then, I\u2019ve only been going here for matcha,\u201d Juricic said. \u201cIt\u2019s really nice to sit in here. I like that they have a downstairs because in Ann Arbor, obviously, shops are pretty small, so it\u2019s nice that there\u2019s a lot of space to study and hang out with friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alassudi said the draw of Yemeni coffee shops is not only their coffee, but also the social and communal experiences not provided by traditional coffee chains.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\u201cWe\u2019re more family-based and more personal than versus you going in there and just, \u2018Hey, let me get a frapp\u2019 or \u2018Hey, let me get a cappuccino\u2019 and walk out,\u201d Alassudi said. \u201cWe like to get to know people. You can sit and socialize better. \u2026 Try all the different Yemeni coffee shops in the area, and you\u2019ll see the difference than you going to a Starbucks and versus you going to a Dunkin\u2019 Donuts \u2014 you\u2019ll see the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daily News Contributor Natalie Mark can be contacted at <\/em>natmark@umich.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n
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