The story, chapter by chapter
A selection of our films for Qahwah House. Tap one to watch it with sound.
The brand
Eight generations of coffee
- Eight-generation family farmsIts coffee comes from Al Hasbani Farms in Yemen
- More than 30 cafés
- Since 2017Its first café opened in Michigan
Qahwah House serves Yemeni coffee from Al Hasbani Farms, family farms that have grown it for eight generations. The coffee is organic Arabica, roasted in small batches, and the menu includes the Sana’ani blend and Adeni chai.
It began in Dearborn, Michigan, in 2017. NPR counted 23 cafés in April 2025; by May 2026 the Old City café in Philadelphia was the 36th.
New York
A full house in Williamsburg
The second Qahwah House in the country opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2020. By November 2025 there were eight across New York City and New Jersey.
We filmed that café, at 162 Bedford Avenue, with the room full: from the street window to the espresso machine, the baristas at work and guests at every table.
The pour
Pink, then white, then green
At the Astoria café in Queens, one drink is built in front of the camera: a pink base, then milk, then a green layer on top. We shot it close on the counter, with the café’s lights behind, so each pour has the frame to itself.
The cafés
Every café, its own films
In Manhattan, the film goes from the street to the counter, past drinks poured and pastries served, and ends back on the street outside. In Astoria, a member of the team walks the camera from the front door, past the bar, to the seating, and it ends on the layered drink.
