The origins of coffee come to Madison’s West Side as Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. officially held its grand opening.
On April 2, Qamaria Coffee held a ribbon-cutting to officially open the coffee shop, which has technically been open since November 2025. Qamaria is a national franchise that brings the tastes of Yemeni coffee, known as the first time the drink was brewed. The Madison location is the second opened by franchisees Anas Alhurani and Faraz Shuja after having success with their first one in Greenfield, Wis.
Madison’s Qamaira has been well-received by the community in the five months it has been open. At the official grand opening, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the new coffee shop is a great addition to Madison and what it represents.
“We know here in Madison a couple things. One thing we know is that our diversity is our strength, and places where people from diverse backgrounds can come together and drink coffee, or tea, or have a baked good, or whatever it might be together are really valuable for us. It makes us a stronger community,” Rhodes-Conway said.
Secondly, Mayor Rhodes-Conway pointed to the city’s infrastructure that allows businesses like Qamaria to succeed.
“It doesn’t happen just because the government provides infrastructure. It only happens when entrepreneurs make the investment of their time, their talent, their treasure, to put together successful businesses like this,” she said.
Qamaria looks to create a solid place for the community to gather. It, unlike most coffee shops, is open late at night. When Alhurani and Shuja were in college, they always looked for a place that stayed open late and wanted to create a space that catered to those with similar interests.
(Photo by Omar Waheed)
The two want the coffee shop to be a third space for everyone. It is also one of the few late-night spots where Madison’s Muslim population can confidently gather away from the state’s alcohol heavy culture.
“A lot of people go to bars. People go to celebrate in the late hours. We wanted to create things for everyone, not just for our people or entire local communities, so they have a third space,” Alhurani said. “That’s what motivated us to open and keep the place as cozy as possible so people can enjoy and feel… a third space.”
Qamaria offers a range of food and drinks that captures both traditional and contemporary styles.
Alhurani and Shuja highly recommend the Adeni Tea or its coffee version, with black tea or coffee spiced with cinnamon; the pistachio latte; Qamaria latte, its titular drink with espresso, milk, cardamom, cinnamon and honey; and matchas. For food, Qamaria is known around the country for its take on Tres Leches and its more traditional Khalyet Al-Nahel — a honey-drizzled sweet bread stuffed with cream cheese.
Qamaria is located at 6713 Odana Rd. It is open daily from 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
