Coffee drinkers and teetotalers alike have a place to go during late-night hours in Skokie– a shop offering coffee and drinks native to Yemen.
Michigan-based coffee chain Matari Coffee opened a location at 8800 Gross Point Road, Skokie, in early October. CEO Sadeq Almatari said the brand is named after his family, and brings along much of his culture’s coffee practices, including being open until midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends.
Matari’s interior consists of marble floors, a mix of table and booth seating, and counter service. The coffee shop also offers an outdoor patio for the warmer months. At the counter, customers can choose from an array of pastries made either in house or by a local partner.
Matari’s menu mainly consists of drinks: espresso, coffee, chai, refreshers and non-alcoholic mojitos. Signature items on the menu include mofawar, a medium roast coffee served with cardamom and cream; matari tea, a green tea, himalayan pink salt, milk and spices, topped with roasted pistachios and rada’ey, a light roast coffee served with ginger and cardamom.
Almatari said Matari’s coffee beans brew quality coffee because of the conditions in which they are grown. Yemen’s average altitude of 6,600 feet gives the beans hints of apricot, orange and earthy flavors, he said.
The Matari brand is three years old and has four locations — one in Skokie, two in Michigan and one in Ontario. So far, the Skokie location has been the strongest performing location for the brand, Almatari said.
Almatari credits Matari’s growth to the business’s franchising model. By the end of the year, the brand is expected to approve 25 locations, including one in Lombard and one in Schaumburg, he said.
“It’s a good business and people like coffee,” Almatari said. “It’s a place where people gather and hang out.”
Matari is open from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
