If you have ever wanted a cardamom latte to go with your Dairy Queen run, Greensburg has you covered. A renovated camper serving Middle Eastern coffee and sweets has rolled into town, setting up shop beside the Dairy Queen at 611 New Alexandria Road.
Cafe Zara, run by 25-year-old owner Zara Wan, started pouring drinks from the compact trailer on May 16. For now, Wan is sticking to weekend hours as she tests the concept, keeps costs in check, and slowly builds a following in Westmoreland County. The pop-up leans into traditional Middle Eastern flavors while keeping one eye on local latte habits.
Menu With A Middle Eastern Twist
The menu is small but intentional. Wan is serving cardamom-rose and pistachio lattes, along with a Dubai chocolate drink, a Spanish option, a salted-caramel date latte, and mini pancakes with assorted toppings.
She said her father renovated the camper kitchen in the weeks leading up to opening, and the trailer is deliberately compact to keep overhead low while she experiments. Cafe Zara is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as Wan gauges demand, TribLIVE reported.
Balancing Med School, Health Issues, And A New Business
Wan moved to Greensburg to study at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine on Seton Hill's campus. The camper, she explained, is a low-capacity way to run a business that can fit around her studies.
The concept grew from family recipes and a desire to expose Westmoreland County residents to Middle Eastern flavors, she said, describing the venture as “just my test in this life,” according to TribLIVE.
Wan also shared that she has been diagnosed with endometriosis, reactive hypoglycemia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia, and POTS, health concerns that shaped her decision to start on a smaller scale rather than immediately opening a full cafe.
She plans to expand Cafe Zara into a brick-and-mortar storefront next year, she told TribLIVE.
Slotting Into Greensburg’s Coffee Scene
Greensburg already has a handful of hometown coffee spots and weekend pop-ups, and Cafe Zara adds a new flavor profile to that mix. Its focus on Middle Eastern sweets and spiced, aromatic drinks could catch the eye of residents looking for something a little different from their usual brew.
Local roasters and shops like Caleese Coffee have already built a downtown following, and Cafe Zara’s weekends-only setup gives Wan room to test demand without jumping straight into a full buildout. The scaled-down operation keeps costs tight while she refines a menu that she says is rooted in family tradition. For more local context on Greensburg’s coffee options, see Caleese Coffee.
What’s Brewing Next
For now, Wan is focused on weekend service, word-of-mouth buzz, and fine-tuning her recipes and operations from the camper.
If things go according to plan, she hopes a permanent location will open in 2027, with the camper remaining part of Cafe Zara’s story, not just a starting point. Until then, anyone curious about cardamom, pistachio, or salted-caramel date lattes can find Cafe Zara parked next to the Dairy Queen on New Alexandria Road during its weekend hours.
