Dearborn's Jabal Coffee House wins over locals, declared "Better than Starbucks" by customers
DEARBORN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - In just one month, Dearborn's newest coffee shop, Jabal Coffee House, has not only become the hottest place in town, but it has customers declaring it's better than Starbucks.
The Yemeni-inspired coffee house officially opened its doors on Nov. 13 near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Mason Street in West Dearborn.
Since then, customers like Halle Heinz say she's ready to 'cut out' Starbucks and cash in on putting Jabal coffee into her daily lineup.
"They did a great job. The food was top-tier, and the drinks are better than Starbucks! So we might be cutting that out. We might be cutting our Starbucks out," said Heinz. "Ain't no, maybe," her friend, M.J., replied.
The literal definition of Jabal in Arabic is "mountains." According to Saqr Waza, the owner of Jabal, some of the best coffee in the world is farmed near the top of the mountains in Yemen.
"The best coffee is grown in the mountains of Yemen. It's the best coffee in the world, and we just want to bring it here and showcase it to the community," Waza says.
From its Yemeni-inspired hot coffee and tea, iced lattes, fraps and refreshers to its mouthwatering pastries, including cheesecakes, milk cakes and more, Jabal is taking the coffee space by storm in a city already filled with so many options.
"It's Dearborn. There are a lot of coffee places, but this kind of feels a little different," Nour Al-Deen Kamal Al-Deen, who has already become one of Jabal's regulars, says. "Man, whatever this was, the milk cake, the caramel milk cake, you guys got to get it, man," he said.
But perhaps Jabal's pre-order and customizable friendly app, stunning interior and exterior design, as well as its private rooms made available inside, have set Jabal apart from the rest of the crowd.
For Gamal Waza, Saqr's brother and co-owner of Jabal, he says opening Jabal is a dream come true.
"Growing up, I dreamed of having my own business," Waza says.
But that is not all the Waza brothers wanted growing up. They also wanted to make a difference. For Saqr, sourcing Jabal coffee from his homeland of Yemen does just that, giving farmers back home a much-needed boost they could use.
"Helping the farmers back home, helping our home country, it just gives you a high level of satisfaction along with seeing all the customers and seeing the reviews. This is what it's all about," Waza says.
While its rapid success in a short amount of time has been credited to not only its coffee but its service and hospitality, it comes at a time when many locals are looking for alternatives to Starbucks amid boycotts over Israel.
"We're glad we could offer the community a great alternative when they needed it most," Waza says.
Jabal Coffee House is open every day from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.