Fresno's first Yemeni coffee shop is going big. Mokha Harbor Cafe, the West Shaw Avenue coffeehouse that introduced the city to Yemeni coffee culture, is working to buy a building near Fresno Yosemite International Airport for a second location that would be nearly triple the size of its original shop.
Co-owner Zahi Saleh said the cafe has not disclosed the exact new address until the purchase deal closes, but he expects to acquire the building by the beginning of 2027. According to The Fresno Bee, Saleh said cafe options near the airport are limited, and he sees an opening there for a bigger Mokha Harbor location with a drive-thru, easier customer access and proximity to a freeway. The new spot is expected to span nearly 3,000 square feet and open in the first part of 2027, preferably by March.
From Bab Al-Yemen to Mokha Harbor
The original Mokha Harbor Cafe sits at 3173 West Shaw Avenue, Suite 102A, where it opened under a different name in 2021. Locally owned Bab Al-Yemen Cafe opened on West Shaw Avenue that year, per the Bee's earlier reporting, before switching names and owners in May 2026 while continuing to serve Yemeni coffee and treats at the same address, as a separate Fresno Bee feature detailed. The new name honors Mokha, the Yemeni port city that was once a major hub of the early coffee trade, the outlet's reporting notes.
Saleh said he is proud to be the first to bring Yemeni coffee to Fresno, and that Mokha Harbor Cafe introduced Yemeni coffee, culture and hospitality to the city. He described the business as growing slowly, like any small local operation. The original shop currently doubles as a gathering spot for studying, book clubs and other get-togethers, while the planned second location is designed to accommodate larger community groups and professional events.
What's On The Menu
Mokha Harbor Cafe serves mufarwar, juban and Haraz'i Yemeni coffee drinks alongside Turkish coffee, espresso drinks and Adeni shai tea lattes. Specialty options include pistachio, lavender and brown butter toffee lattes, plus pastries like honeycomb bread, baklava and biscoff cheesecake. The new location will share the original coffeehouse menu with additions, including more breakfast options, and will be open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Saleh plans to hire around 15 employees for the new cafe, mostly part-time with some full-time positions, and will post job openings on the business website once the building acquisition is complete.
A Growing Yemeni Coffee Scene
Mokha Harbor Cafe's expansion arrives as Fresno's Yemeni coffee scene keeps growing. Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. opened at The Marketplace at El Paseo near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue in the summer of 2025, and the chain now plans to open a second Fresno location at 6825 North Willow Avenue, Suite 101, by the new year. Sana'a Cafe, meanwhile, is set to open its first Fresno location at 4470 West Shaw Avenue near Costco Wholesale in early 2027; the chain has grown to 16 locations across California and one in Washington state, with 20 more planned over the following year, the Bee reported.
Rumi Coffee had its soft opening the weekend of July 31, 2026, at 7406 North Fresno Street, offering traditional espresso drinks and Yemeni mofawar alongside pastries and baked goods in a late-night, non-alcohol community space, according to Fresnoland. The outlet describes Yemeni coffee shops as decidedly on trend in Fresno, a city that is home to roughly 1,200 Yemeni residents, among the largest Yemeni populations in California.
The boom is not confined to Fresno. Hundreds of Yemeni coffee shops have opened across the United States in recent years, according to NPR, which describes the shops' signature look and feel as beautiful designs, late hours and coffee drinks flavored with cardamom and ginger. Qahwah House, founded by Ibrahim Alhasbani in 2017, has expanded to 23 locations stretching from Texas to New York, per the same report, which also notes that coffee prices have skyrocketed worldwide because of climate change.
