Located in the Alloy Block development, Yafa Café at 505 State Street is more than just a coffee shop — it’s a testament to community, cultural preservation, and entrepreneurial spirit. The café represents a deeply personal journey of creating a space where they, as young Brown entrepreneurs, could feel truly at home.
Roots in Sunset Park
Yafa’s flagship café was founded in Sunset Park in 2019 by cousins Hakim Sulaimani and Ali Suliman, and they opened the Downtown Brooklyn outpost in the Fall of 2024. Hakim’s family has been a cornerstone of the Sunset Park community for three decades, and Yafa Café emerged as a deliberate act of cultural representation. The State Street cafe is a compact space with a minimal kitchen, precluding full-restaurant operations. The all-day menu features sandwiches, appetizers and soup blending Hakim and Ali’s Yemeni roots with a modern twist. But coffee remains their primary focus. Given Yemen’s history as the first documented location for coffee cultivation, the cousins saw an opportunity to reconnect with their roots while serving their community.
More Than Just a Coffee Shop
What sets Yafa Café apart is its commitment to transparency and cultural authenticity. They source specialty Yemeni coffee directly from farmers, pricing their unique brew at $7 to support sustainable coffee production in Yemen. While they offer coffees from around the world — Indonesia, Costa Rica, Guatemala — their Yemeni pour-over remains its signature offering.
Why Downtown Brooklyn?
Their expansion to Downtown Brooklyn was strategic, thanks in part to their connection with the Khalil Gibran International Academy and the historical Yemeni business presence on Atlantic Avenue.
“Downtown Brooklyn is more than a location for us—it’s a statement,” Hakim explains. “We’re here to ensure that our community’s presence remains strong and to tell a story that goes beyond just serving coffee.”
A Philosophy of Hard Work
For Hakim, the journey has been about sacrifice and passion. “Your small business is all about the sweat you put into it,” he reflects. “Sometimes it will feel like it isn’t working, but if you love and appreciate something, your hard work will achieve something.”
With a view to potential expansion, Yafa Café continues to grow—not just as a business, but as a community institution. Their message is clear: Yafa Café is a Brooklyn business, by Brooklyn, for Brooklyn.
