Nubar Café

      

There is a trend, maybe even a phenomenon, in and around Chicago.  Middle Eastern coffee houses are popping up all over.  The are not, as yet, as ubiquitous as that small taco joints that in neighborhood stores that seem to come and go with the seasons.  This coffee house craze reminds me of similar phenomena and fads from decades ago such as movie rental stores and cell phones stores.

What kind of coffee houses?  No, not Starbucks or anything similar.

These are Middle Eastern coffee and sweet shops.  Most of them are Yemeni in name or coffee brews.  Some are Turkish or Kurdish.  One I know of was started by a Kurdish immigrant who recently sold it a Mexican immigrant.  I am guessing these are fashioned after shops in the Middle East where drinking alcohol is discouraged and gathering in coffee houses is a valued pastime.  These shops are all well, appointed, well lit, with a color scheme that is basically white with gold or word trim and accents. 

My favorite of all these places is Nubar Café.  It is near North Park University.  I can walk here from my office.  Until a few months ago, it was a Brazilian café which was OK but nothing special.  I was driving by in late October, and I saw the sign for Nubar Café and got excited as Nubar is an Armenian male name.  I couldn’t stop in that day, but with the aid of Siri, I called them as I was anxious to see if they were Armenian owned.  I ended up speaking to the owner, Zarya, who told me that she is Kurdish from Northern Iraq and her husband, Kadir, was also Kurdish from Van, Turkey.   Zarya told me that “nubar” means fresh start or new beginning in Kurdish.  It is indeed an inviting pleasant place for a solo or more social coffee.

This coffee house phenomenon is summarized as follows per Google’s Gemini AI:

The rise of Yemeni coffee shops in the U.S. is a booming trend, driven by demand for "third places" (social spots outside home/work) for Muslim communities seeking alcohol-free socializing, and a wider audience for unique, spiced coffee & rich desserts like Adeni Chai, offering late-night vibes with cardamom-infused drinks, attracting diverse crowds to vibrant spaces that honor Yemeni heritage and family farms. Led by pioneers like Qahwah House (which started in Dearborn, MI), these independent and chain stores (like Haraz Coffee House and Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. ) are expanding nationwide, transforming local coffee culture with their distinct flavors and community focus.

Where Starbuck’s has moved to more grab and go stores, these Middle Eastern coffee shops are designed for comfort and ambiance for the express purpose for people sit and enjoy your coffee, desserts, or light meals on site.  These style coffee houses exist to provide vital social hubs for Muslim communities, offering a safe, alcohol-free alternative to bars, catering to families, students, and remote workers.  The few I have visited here have very diverse clienteles. I believe these coffee houses appeal to everyone that likes and drinks coffee or tea.  I also believe that the pace at which these coffee houses are being built will exceed the demand and not all will survive.

This is my third time visiting Nubar Café.  It is a delightful place.  The coffee is very good, the food and desserts are equally good.  One of their offerings is Kurdish coffee which is espresso or Turkish/Armenian coffee with thin slivers of pistachio.  It is creamy and a wee bit chewy in a very good way.  The simits, boregs, and sandwiches are very tasty and all worth trying.  The desserts feature baklavas, cheesecakes, and lokhoums.   It is a great place just to have a coffee, coffee and desert, and even lunch. 

 There are always people in the café.  Some, like me today, are on their laptops.  Others are with friends and family, talking, laughing, and enjoying the fare.  I see me as a regular at Nubar Café.