Opening of a Yemeni cafe in North Oakland

Shibam coffee, a Michigan-based Yemeni coffee company, opens at the corner of Melwood and Centre Avenue.

Colliers, a Pittsburgh-based real estate agency, announced in April 2024 that they had leased space to Shibam Coffee and were planning to open in summer 2024, but had not yet announced an official opening date.

Shibam Coffee Online menu Details of their offerings, including traditional coffee house options such as lattes, cappuccinos, hot chocolate and a selection of teas. Tea and coffee are available in a range of sizes, both single serve and kettle serve.

A small part of the cafe’s menu is also dedicated to soft drinks in various flavors such as dragon fruit, strawberry mojito and qishr.

Shibam also sells pastries, including the typical honeycomb and sabaya pastries.

Naomi Weiss, a sophomore majoring in public and professional writing and history, lives on upper campus near Shibam Coffee.

“If it’s close enough, I go there,” Weiss said. “I usually grab a coffee and study. Wherever I study, if there’s a coffee shop nearby, I go there.”

The opening of Shibam Coffee will provide more coffee shop options for Pitt students, especially those in North Oakland. Currently, Starbucks, Saxby’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts have multiple locations throughout Oakland, but the Starbucks in Amos Hall is temporarily closed for renovations.

There are also several smaller cafes near campus, such as Divvy Coffee and Buns on Forbes Avenue and Redhawk Coffee Roasters on Meyran Avenue.

Lily Undercofler, a senior Spanish and English major, said that in Oakland, she only goes to Divvy—the “cute coffee shop”—or Saxby’s because it’s close to her classes at the Cathedral.

“The selection is pretty limited,” Undercofler said. “There’s Divvy, Starbucks, Saxbys.”

Undercofler said she believes it is expensive, but wishes there were “more small cafes like Divvy.”

At Starbucks, Divvy, Saxby’s and Shibam, prices for a hot latte with no added flavors or alternative milk are comparable. At both Divvy and Starbucks, a small regular latte costs $4.75. At Saxby’s and Shibam, a small latte costs $5.25. Additionally, both Divvy and Shibam charge a surcharge for iced lattes.

“It’s expensive everywhere,” Undercofler said. “Starbucks, Saxby’s and Divvy are all expensive.”

Undercofler lives in South Oakland, farther away from the Shibam Coffee location, but said she would be willing to walk over from campus.

“It’s not far since I’m on campus,” Undercofler said. “I would definitely check it out.”