A fast-growing Yemeni coffee chain is setting up shop in New Britain, converting a former smoke shop on East Street into what will be its first Connecticut location. Port Coffee Co. plans to open soon at 1395 East Street, just steps from Central Connecticut State University, bringing specialty espresso drinks and traditional Yemeni beverages to New Britain.
The opening was first reported by The Connecticut Scoop, which noted that the retail space previously housed a smoke shop and is currently undergoing renovations to convert it into a cafe. The site sits less than half a mile from Central Connecticut State University, which enrolls and employs more than 10,700 students and staff. The New Britain location is close to the CCSU campus.
From Irving, Texas, to New England
Port Coffee Co. has expanded across Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Louisiana, and North Carolina, per the Connecticut Scoop report. The New Britain cafe will mark the brand's first Connecticut franchise. The company has leaned heavily on college-town real estate, most recently opening a location at 4013 Walnut Street near the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia in mid-2026 before turning its attention to the area around Central Connecticut State University, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Opening a Port Coffee Co. franchise isn't cheap. The company's official franchise disclosure materials put the total initial investment between $114,000 and $150,000, including an $11,000 one-time franchise fee and an ongoing 1% royalty, and the brand walks new operators through an eight-stage onboarding process that runs through grand opening.
What's on the Menu
The New Britain menu, per the Connecticut Scoop's reporting, will include lattes, cappuccino, chai tea, Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and small bites alongside pastries and baked goods. It will also carry traditional Yemeni drinks such as Jubani, Malaki, Adeni, and Sanaani. Adeni is a sweetened tea or coffee spiced with cardamom, Sanaani is a medium-roasted coffee also spiced with cardamom, and Jubani is brewed from coffee husks known as qishr along with coffee beans infused with ginger and other spices, according to Espresso Outlet.
Other Port Coffee Co. locations have also leaned into social-media-friendly drinks like Biscoff, Pistachio, and Taro lattes, alongside halal baked goods, with some stores offering private meeting rooms and prayer spaces, per Visit Irving. It's unclear whether the New Britain location will include those amenities, but the full menu is available online through the chain's website.
Part of a Fast-Growing National Trend
New Britain's new cafe lands amid rapid growth for Yemeni coffee concepts nationally. The number of U.S. locations run by major Yemeni coffee chains jumped 50% in 2025 to 136 stores, according to restaurant consulting firm Technomic as reported by the Toledo Blade. The Associated Press, in reporting cited by the Blade, has tied part of that surge to the appeal of late-opening cafes as places to socialize for people who do not drink. Gallup found that 54% of U.S. adults said they drink alcohol in 2025, a 90-year low.
A growing Arab American population has also helped drive the trend. Arab American Institute data cited by the Associated Press shows the Arab American population in the U.S. grew by 43% between 2010 and 2024, helping fuel commercial demand for Middle Eastern food and beverage concepts in both suburban and urban markets.
Connecticut has already seen the trend take root. Yemerica opened in West Hartford in December 2024 as the state's first Yemeni coffee house, according to We-Ha, and Arwa Yemeni Coffee opened in New Haven in early 2026.
