UMKC student opens new late-night Arabic coffee shop with family

  Late-night coffee shops are not common in the Kansas City area, but a new cafe aims to channel the typical atmosphere, flavors and hours that can be found at coffee shops in West Asia.

  Turath Coffee was opened in March by junior business and finance major Sarah Awwad and her family, after years of her brother-in-law pitching the idea of starting an Arabic-style coffee shop.

  “We really just want to bring the Middle East cafe culture to the Midwest,” said Awwad, a co-owner and manager at Turath.

  Turath means heritage in Arabic, which is what the shop in Overland Park, Kansas, wants to exhibit through its overall vibe.

  “Since I’m Palestinian myself, when I saw the interior, it felt like I was back home,” said Fatima Jaffal, a sophomore biology major. “It was very homey, and I really loved the community there and how it brought everyone together, and the drinks were really good too.”

  Every piece of decor in Turath was put together by Awwad and her sister, Sawsan Awwad, who both also created the menu. The logistical aspects of the shop were handled by co-owners Waseem Nasser, who is Awwad’s brother-in-law, and his brother Loai Nasser.

  Laiba Baloch, a first-year biology student, has visited Turath multiple times since its opening. She said she likes the welcoming environment and “the variety of drinks,” including her favorite, the tiramisu latte.

  “I feel like I could go there to study or I could go there to meet a friend,” said Baloch. “A lot of coffee shops are either too dark and too claustrophobic, but this one is different. I’ve been to so many, and I just feel like the environment itself just stands out.”

  Awwad’s previous barista experience and passion for trying out different coffee and matcha drinks at home made way for her and her sister to come up with the drink selection, inspired by popular Arab flavors and desserts, such as dates, cardamom, figs, baklava and knafeh. 

  Awwad said there has been an outpour of support for the shop from the community, including UMKC students, as she runs into some “every day” and sees their reviews on Instagram.

  “It’s been great, honestly, it’s been just so supportive, so kind, and even if there is criticism, it’s very constructive criticism, very respectful, and we’re open to hear anything that we fall short on,” said Awwad.

  Jaffal said Turath can serve as a change of scenery for students, and that it’s “worth the drive.”

  “Since it gets boring just studying in the same spot, the library, trying different places is really nice,” said Jaffal. “Especially since it’s family owned, I would like supporting small businesses.”

  Despite Turath’s late-night appeal, with hours until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Awwad said that having a morning crowd is still important to the shop.

  After getting settled, Turath aims to host events around once a month, with their first event, a mental health discussion with Heartful Minds, set for April 10. Awwad said that the shop is “so open” to hosting events with UMKC groups.

  The shop is also working with other local businesses to supply cookies, cheesecakes and manakeesh.

  Turath intends to appeal to a wide variety of crowds, and Awwad said they want to provide people with a versatile place to gather where “everyone can feel comfortable.”

  “I’ve seen it a lot on social media where people are yearning for a third space where they can just go sit and hang out, and I feel like Turath is one of those perfect places because you can really make that place however you want,” said Baloch.

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