Sana’a Cafe, a Yemeni-inspired coffee and tea shop, opened in Westwood on Monday.
The shop is located on Broxton Avenue, nestled in between the Westwood Village Theater and Falafel Inc. The cafe sells pastries and specialty coffee and tea beverages such as matcha, Yemeni lattes and pistachio lattes.
The space is meant to be a comfortable study spot for students, with access to a second floor and outlets to charge their devices, said Sadeq Alaqel, the shop’s co-owner.
“We saw it’s a very good area to have a coffee shop, a cozy coffee shop next to UCLA,” he said. “We look to make it pleasant for students.”
Sana’a Cafe’s new store comes as part of a series of business openings in Westwood, including Raising Cane’s, Xibei Eatery and Milksha.
[Related: Raising Cane’s opens Westwood location after three-year wait]
Sana’a Cafe plans to hold a grand opening event Oct. 15, said Tamal Alautl, the manager for the shop’s Westwood location.
The cafe can fit up to 70 people inside and imports its products directly from Yemen, Alaqel said. He added that he chose the Westwood location after dining at House of Mandi, a Yemeni restaurant in Westwood that Sana’a Cafe plans to partner with.
“We’re known for our rich, authentic coffee, freshly brewed,” Alaqel said. “Pastries, sweets will be there that none of the others will have.”
Viraj Amaraneni, a fourth-year neuroscience student who ordered a chai beverage at Sana’a Cafe, said the Westwood shop is bigger than its other location in Hollywood.
“There’s constantly people filtering in and out of here, and I love it,” he said.
Megan Furey, director of programs and partnerships for the Westwood Improvement Association, said she is looking to partner with Sana’a for future events such as the Westwood Block Party.
“It’s really nice to have something that’s like that for that community, to be an inclusive neighborhood that has a lot of different offerings,” Furey said.
For Alaqel, high-quality customer service is a priority. Alaqel added that he wants Sana’a Cafe to feel like a second home.
“I want them to get that cup of coffee and just feel relaxed,” Alaqel said. “All that pressure goes away as soon as they have that cup of coffee and welcoming from my employees.”
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