NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- Coming from a family of business owners, Abe Naser wanted his first investment to be something special.
And that’s what the Westlake native said he discovered with Michigan-based franchise Shibam Coffee.
“I’ve been trying to open a coffee franchise, looking to find the best one,” he said.
“The idea behind it was some of the franchises like Starbucks and Biggby are starting to fall off, so we wanted to bring something new for the community.
“This is the best coffee I ever had.”
Earlier this year, Naser opened Shibam Coffee at 26745 Brookpark Extension.
The former massage parlor space boasts quite an interior, with unique architecture and walls painted with murals that epitomize the franchise’s historic Yemeni coffee culture.
“It’s not your typical Starbucks menu,” Naser said. “It’s kind of a different taste to bring to the community.
“I know people love Turkish coffee, but you can’t really get a really good Turkish coffee anywhere you go, so we brought it to North Olmsted.
“And in addition to our lattes, including pistachio and Spanish latte, the pastries are wonderful.”
Regarding the latter, Naser said the milk cake dessert has been selling off the tray.
Open for roughly two months, the business owner said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We’ve been jam-packed,” said Naser, who said a plan to open another franchise in Westlake is already in the works.
“The community is loving it. They’re loving the ambiance and the atmosphere that we bring to them,” he said.
“There’s a good family vibe where they can just sit, eat desserts and drink our coffee.”
That’s exactly what attracted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones to the new business, which the city recently highlighted on its new YouTube channel.
“We’re so happy to welcome Shibam Coffee to North Olmsted,” she said.
“I enjoy highlighting the businesses in our city to let residents know about new places to visit or little known gems.
“I had one of the smoothest lattes ever at Shibam. And their milk cake is amazing.”
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