Wall decoration at Bober Tea and Mochi Dough in Dearborn, Michigan. Photo by Ashley Demario.

The smell of roasting beans, quiet chatter, the tapping of keyboard keys. If you live in Dearborn, Michigan, or any of the surrounding cities, you may have noticed a change over the last year or so. Whether you call them shops, houses, or cafés, whether you go for coffee, matcha, or tea, there is no question the popularity of coffee shops in Dearborn. And with this popularity, a unique culture surrounding these cafes has formed. And while most people can agree that Dearborn has a coffee culture, it’s difficult to define what it exactly is.

Whether intentionally or not, coffee shops are perfect third spaces, places outside of work and home. They are casual enough to not need an occasion to go to, making them great for socializing. Frequent coffee shop customer, Sara Chaaban, says, “I think coffee shops are popular in Dearborn because they provide a safe and appropriate atmosphere to hang out with friends or to meet/network with people.”

Mohamnd Al-jaber explained what inspired him to open his shop, Newora Coffee, “I recognized the Arab community here is very social,” he said, “People loved getting together, people love staying late.”

Cafes have also built a reputation for being a good place to study or work. Considering Dearborn has Henry Ford College, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and three highschools, cafes provide a place outside of the home where students can study either in groups or on their own. Suendos Beydoun, owner of Gateaux Patisserie, says, “There is a huge study culture too. People like a third space away from home to be able to focus and get work done.” This is really important for those who don’t have a quiet place to study or just need to get out of the house as motivation. If you go to a coffee shop in Dearborn on a weekend, it is guaranteed that at least two people are there, on a laptop, with headphones on. Coffee houses acting as sort of community hubs makes sense. Casually spending some time with friends or family over coffee can be a beautiful thing. But it is not unique to Dearborn.

Given Dearborn’s high concentration of Arab Americans and Muslims, it makes sense that Arab culture would bleed into the city’s culture. Fatima Mohammed, a University of Michigan student, believes Dearborn’s love of coffee is, “mainly because of the large Arab and Muslim community.” She continues, “It’s a place where people can meet up and talk without anything being haram. It’s the Arab version of a bar.” And Amal Bakri, one of the owners of Bakri Coffee Roasters, furthers this explanation by saying, “A lot of Muslims refrain from drinking alcohol and going to bars - and I just feel the coffee houses, coffee shops are a ‘halal’ place to go, you know, where you can just hang out and have some good drinks.”

There is also something to be said about what coffee means to the Arab community. While coffee beans originated from Ethiopia, the act of brewing those beans into coffee originated in 9th century Yemen, and quickly spread throughout the Middle East. Later in the 15th-16th century, shops known as “qahveh khaneh” began to sell coffee and people began meeting at these shops to relax and even discuss news and business. According to The National Coffee Organization, “At these thriving social hubs, you not only could sip your coffee and chat, but you could listen to music, watch performances, play chess, and stay current on the news. In fact, coffee houses were so vital to the exchange of information at the time that they were also known as ‘Schools of the Wise.’” Around this time coffee was even referred to as “The wine of Araby.” Coffee and the social culture surrounding it is integrated into Arabic culture and tradition. So it only makes sense that when Arabs came to Dearborn, they would bring their love for coffee and community.

Many of the people I talked to described Dearborn coffee houses as “unique” or having something that differentiates them from other shops both in and out of the city. Many of them are owned by Arab Americans, so it is quite common to see these shops selling traditional Arabic coffee and tea, alongside the standard coffee shop beverages. Some popular spots include Newora Coffee for its spacious building and delicious drinks, Jabal Coffee House for its warm atmosphere and aesthetic, and Qahwa House for its more authentic Arabic coffee and tea. It is also not uncommon to see these shops stay open in the late hours of the night and even past midnight. Staying open late is especially common during the Islamic month of Ramadan, when Muslims who are fasting must wait for the sun to set before they can eat or drink.

“I don’t know any other coffee shop that stays open until 1:00 am outside of Dearborn,” Mohamnd Al-jaber said.

Dearborn is a very welcoming city with cultural roots that date back centuries. Coffee connects the community to its past and to the many newcomers who want to enjoy some of the best coffee in the world.