A fast-growing Yemeni coffee chain is staking its claim in Frisco. Haraz Coffee House is converting a vacant 1,378-square-foot space at 11288 Legacy Drive in the Parkway Towne Crossing shopping center into its newest cafe, with construction set to begin next week and wrap up by February 2, 2027.
According to Community Impact, the roughly $100,000 renovation is expected to start Nov. 1 and finish by early February 2027. The project also has a construction permit filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which lists the project under registration number TABS2026003475, according to state records. Per WhatNow, the Frisco location is expected to open in early spring 2027 and will mark the brand's fifth Dallas-area cafe, with the Frisco franchise reportedly operated by Mohd Swalha, who is listed on multiple permits for regional cafes. WhatNow reported that it contacted Swalha for information about the expansion but had not received a response by publication.
From Dearborn to Frisco: A Yemeni Coffee Brand on the Move
Haraz Coffee House traces its roots to Dearborn, Michigan, where founder Hamzah Nasser opened the brand's first cafe in 2021, according to the company's own account on its website. The chain says its mission centers on sharing Yemeni coffee culture and heritage, and its menu leans on Yemeni-inspired drinks and pastries. WhatNow reported that Haraz specializes in Yemeni coffee, chai, pistachio lattes, and traditional pastries, and that the company sources its coffee beans from Yemen, a country WhatNow's report describes as the world's coffee capital.
The company's own site touts a broader lineup of offerings, including authentic Yemeni coffee, catering, premium blends, machines, and expert courses, and it now also advertises that franchising opportunities are available in Canada. WhatNow reported that Hamzah Nasser was also contacted about the brand's expansion plans but had not responded by the time the article published.
Conflicting Numbers on Just How Big Haraz Has Gotten
Exactly how large Haraz has become depends on which account you read. WhatNow reported the company has 62 open locations with more than 185 additional locations in its pipeline, while the company's own about page states it has grown to 62 locations across metro Detroit and other cities with 185 in the pipeline. Haraz's website separately states that it has 126 new locations signed across the U.S. and the Middle East.
Other outlets have offered different figures at different points in time. CultureMap Dallas described Haraz as a Dearborn-based chain with 50 U.S. outlets and another 50 in development, while a report from late 2025 cited by WhatNow put operating locations at around 20 to 26 across Michigan, Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina, and Illinois, with plans to soon reach over 150 locations and hundreds more in development. Separately, MoCo360 reported that Haraz operates franchise locations in California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas, and Virginia, with more than 120 additional locations under development nationwide. The company describes its own expansion as happening one location at a time, with a rising monthly growth rate and a growing portfolio of signed locations, per WhatNow.
Frisco's Appetite for Middle Eastern Coffee Keeps Growing
Haraz won't be the only Yemeni-style coffee option in Frisco. Arwa Yemeni Coffee, a Dallas-based chain with 11 cafes across the U.S. and 30 more in development according to CultureMap Dallas, opened its first Richardson location in 2023 before expanding to Frisco, Murphy, and Las Colinas. CultureMap Dallas reported that Arwa's Frisco location opened at The Centre at Preston Ridge shopping center by August 2024, serving Yemeni coffee and pastries including honeycomb bread, as detailed by Community Impact's earlier coverage.
Frisco has also welcomed Heritage Cafe, which held its grand opening in downtown Frisco at 7227 Main St. Suite 600, according to the Dallas Observer. That cafe blends Yemeni traditions like Adeni tea and milk cakes with a Palestinian-inspired watermelon mint lemonade alongside standard cappuccinos, mochas, and cold brews, the Observer reported. The broader trend isn't limited to North Texas, either — Yemeni coffee shops have been opening consecutively across the region since at least 2023, according to D Magazine, and CultureMap Dallas reported that six major Yemeni-style coffee chains together grew 50% in a single year to 136 locations nationwide, a surge that CultureMap Dallas ties to the U.S. Arab American population rising 43% between 2010 and 2024, compared with roughly 10% growth for the U.S. population overall.
Haraz's own expansion hasn't always moved on schedule. In Maryland, MoCo360 reported that the brand's first location at Burtonsville Crossing was initially projected to open in September 2025 but was pushed back to early 2026 as buildout progressed more slowly than anticipated. Whether Frisco's timeline holds as planned remains to be seen, but for now the Parkway Towne Crossing space is set to start transforming next week.
