Qamaria offers traditional Yemeni coffee, tea and pastries.
Hatem Al-Eidaroos believes the coffee world has changed.
“People are looking for better quality coffee. If you’re going to come into a specialty coffee shop, then you want the best quality coffee—not a commercial cup,” he said.
This rise in demand for specialty coffee led to Al-Eidaroos and Munif Maweri co-founding Qamaria Yemeni Coffee. Qamaria initially began as a wholesaler before shifting into the coffee shop market in 2021. The company offers traditional Yemeni coffee, tea and pastries.
Qamaria has 25 coffee shops nationwide and 18 slated to open within the next six months.
Qamaria has 25 coffee shops nationwide and 18 slated to open within the next six months. The company has also expanded to Canada, with one location open and three in construction. All units are franchised with the exception of Qamaria’s home location in Michigan.
In addition to crafting flavorful Yemeni roasts, Qamaria is setting itself apart by tapping into a specific market: small cities.
More than a dozen Qamaria locations are based in communities with populations under 50,000. Al-Eidaroos, who also serves as CEO, said this was a conscious decision as the company continues to expand its franchising efforts.
“We tell [franchisees], ‘Look, you don’t have to be in the most prime location. You have the best quality, so people will come to you,’” he said.
Strategizing where units should open is largely predicated on where franchisees are based and set up. Expanding into new markets comes from the company having trust in its franchisees, Al-Eidaroos said.
“What we came to realize is no matter how much marketing analysis we do, the franchisee that’s calling from these cities knows their market better than us,” he said. “They know where to open, they know what it’s calling for, and when they call, they already have an idea of where they want to be.”
Qamaria CEO and Co-founder Hatem Al-Eidaroos
Turning to underserved communities was and continues to be a crucial factor in Qamaria’s franchise growth, Al-Eidaroos said, as much of its customer base comprises women, people of color and blue-collar workers. He added that small communities were in need of spaces for families and friends to congregate outside of bars or making the commute to a bigger city.
“These communities are underserved to a certain extent,” he said. “If you’re not going to a bar, there’s no other place to really meet up. What’s been very eye-opening for us is the amount of people that really just want to go to a place and meet up and hang out and sit down.”
Qamaria uses organic marketing—“the best kind of marketing,” Al-Eidaroos added—to build its loyal customer base. The coffee shop welcomes customers to experience its authentic Arabic furniture and various room options, like lounging areas and study rooms.
Social media also plays a part in promoting the brand, highlighting menu options as well as the Yemen-based sourcing, harvesting and brewing-from-scratch methods used in creating the coffee.
These two factors continue to build excitement for Qamaria, with units slated to open in more suburban communities next year. The initial investment range to own a Qamaria franchise is between $181,850 and $260,500, according to the company’s 2023 franchise disclosure document.
“We know from surrounding areas that people will come out,” Al-Eidaroos said. “It becomes almost like a restaurant experience. People are coming to enjoy the experience … and then they’re also coming to get their coffee.”