Where Coffee Becomes Community

Jamal Musalam al Shaer, originally from Palestine, fell in love with Yemeni coffee culture and wanted to bring the flavours of the Middle East to Edmonton. But it wasn’t just about the coffee. He wanted to build a space where people could connect for a cozy space, conversation and community. In April 2024, he opened his first location of Mokha in the Griesbach neighbourhood followed by a second location in Terwillegar, this October. Along with the two coffee shops, Musalem al Shaer owns a warehouse where he roasts the beans and where all the delicious baked goods are made. 

Mokha, a port city on the Red Sea Coast of Yemen, was long known as a major centre of the early coffee trade. “I named my place Mokha because it has so much to do with the origin of coffee, and it represents the culture behind the coffee. A whole society was built around it,” he explains.

Musalam al Shaer wanted to build a place where people could come to socialize and stay a while. He saw so much of the “pick up and go” mentality, and felt the city lacked spaces that encouraged real face-to-face connections. To change that, he created a space with a mezzanine—the first of its kind in the city—to ensure everyone had a place to sit.

Among Mokha’s most popular offerings are Adeni tea and Mufawar coffee, two traditional Yemeni beverages—the first, originating from the port city of Aden; the second, from the Yemeni highlands. Brewed in massive urns, each offer a blend of warming spices like cardamom, cloves, and ginger simmered with evaporated milk and a hint of sugar, making for a pleasing and aromatic drink. “We like to serve it in a pot with cups, for a group of people, just like you would at home,” Musalam al Shaer says. Other hot and cold drinks round out the menu including regular and specialty coffees, teas, smoothies, and mojitos in the summer months.

Musalam al Shaer puts a lot of thought into service. His goal is to ensure each customer has a genuine, personal interaction with the person preparing their coffee. “I want to treat people like they’re coming to your house. I want everyone to be happy,” he says. From the moment the customer walks through the door, he wants them to feel comfortable. Staff hand every drink directly to the guest rather than having it sit on a sideboard to be retrieved. Judging by the positive reviews, messages and emails, it’s evident that customers have embraced this philosophy.

Musalam al Shaer once thought that two locations would be enough. However, his ambitions have grown, and he hopes to see Mokha cafés not only across Alberta, but maybe even across Canada and beyond. Community and connection, after all, are fundamental human needs that know no boundaries.