Sharing Palestinian Stories Through Coffee: A Conversation With Sajah Abdelghani

Sajah gives us an inside look at her coffee cart, Coffiyeh.

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
ONLINE EDITOR

Photos courtesy of Sajah Abdelghani

Based in northern New Jersey, Coffiyeh is what founder Sajah Abdelghani calls a “sensory and cultural experience”—a venture rooted in Palestinian storytelling.

When Sajah first launched Coffiyeh with her husband Sameh last November, she was fueled by the desire to keep her people’s stories alive. Palestinian and Middle Eastern culture is evident all throughout the menu: Fragrant ingredients like rose, pistachio, cardamom, and tahini take center stage in Sajah’s recipes, which she and Sameh typically create in the quiet hours of early morning or late at night.

We sat down to speak with Sajah about her Coffiyeh journey: how she got started in coffee, what inspires her, and how her family’s heritage is woven throughout every interaction and every cup.

A coffee cart is labeled "Coffiyeh" and topped with an espresso machine, syrup bottles, a coffee grinder, and other coffee-brewing gear.

Coffiyeh, a mobile coffee cart in northern New Jersey. The coffee shop’s name is inspired by the kuffiyeh: a traditional Palestinian headdress and scarf.

Emily Joy Meneses: First, can you tell us how you got started in coffee and what inspired you to start Coffiyeh? Where are you currently located, and how long have you been operating Coffiyeh?

Sajah Abdelghani: Coffee became part of my life really early. It helped me survive school, long work days, everything. When I finally bought my first little machine from Amazon, that is when I really fell in love with making coffee itself. I would make drinks for my family and friends all the time, and it slowly turned into my way of showing love.

Everyone around me kept telling me how good it was, and it made me dream a little bigger. I kept thinking about how I could share that same feeling with more people, but still keep it personal. That is how the idea of being mobile came up. I wanted to bring coffee to people instead of waiting for them to come to me, and I wanted to be part of people’s celebrations and moments.

After I got married in February of 2025, Coffiyeh became something my husband Sameh and I built together. It became our shared passion and a reflection of our culture, our creativity, and honestly just our love for people and community.

We officially started Coffiyeh in November of 2024. We are based in North Jersey and travel all around the Tri-State area for events. Looking back now, as we reach one year, it has been the most rewarding journey.

Sameh (left) and Sajah Abdelghani (right), founders of Coffiyeh.

How has your Palestinian heritage influenced your work with Coffiyeh?

My Palestinian identity shows up in every part of Coffiyeh. Even the name comes from coffee and kuffiyeh, which is such an important symbol of home and resilience for us.

Hospitality is everything in our culture. There is so much pride in welcoming people and making sure they leave feeling happy and cared for. That is exactly the spirit behind Coffiyeh. I wanted people to feel our culture the moment we hand them a cup, even if they are experiencing it for the first time.

You can see it in the name, the patterns, the flavors, and even in the way we interact with people. It is all grounded in heritage and in keeping our story alive.

What are the pros and cons of being a mobile coffee shop? Any plans to eventually have a permanent location, or do you plan on staying mobile?

Being mobile gives us the chance to really be part of different communities. We get to show up in new towns, at festivals, at special events, and meet people where they are. I love that no two days look the same. Of course, it is a lot of work. Setting up takes time, breaking down takes time, and every location has its own challenges. But those moments are what helped us grow the most. They pushed us to figure things out quickly and learn how to adapt. One day I would love to open a physical space for Coffiyeh, but for now, I enjoy being mobile. It keeps us close to the people who helped build this with us.

The outside of Coffiyeh: a mobile coffee cart inspired by Palestinian culture

“Being mobile gives us the chance to really be part of different communities. We get to show up in new towns, at festivals, at special events, and meet people where they are,” Sajah says. “I love that no two days look the same.”

Let’s talk drinks! Tell us about some of your favorite menu items and what inspired them.

Our favorite drinks will always be our signature ones. They are personal to us.

The Turmusawi is inspired by my village Turmusayya. It’s a rose and cardamom latte that just feels like home to me. The Debwani is named after Sameh’s village Deir Debwan. It’s a Dubai chocolate-inspired latte with pistachio and mocha sauce.

We created our drinks separately and somehow, they ended up showing both of our personalities and our shared roots. Together, they tell a piece of our story.

You’ve said that each beverage is meant to tell a story and serve as what you call “a sensory and cultural experience.” What’s your process like, creating each drink and deciding what ingredients to work with?

Everything starts with the beans. We pick a roast that has the right notes and then build from there. From that point we experiment with flavors that complement it.

We pull a lot from Palestinian and Middle Eastern desserts and ingredients. Rose, pistachio, cardamom, tahini. All the things we grew up around. We play with these flavors until they feel right.

Most of our recipe testing happens in the quiet hours, early mornings or late at night, when we can really focus. We tweak things constantly because we want each drink to feel intentional. Our goal is that every drink tells a story and sparks some kind of emotion or memory.

A hand holds up an iced coffee drink in a cup labeled "Coffiyeh."

“We tweak things constantly because we want each drink to feel intentional. Our goal is that every drink tells a story and sparks some kind of emotion or memory,” says Sajah.

You’ve also described Coffiyeh as “a bridge between heritage and contemporary design.” Can you elaborate on that?

Coffiyeh mixes the two worlds I live in. My Palestinian heritage and the modern world around me. I always wanted the brand to look and feel like that blend.

You will see traditional elements in our patterns and flavors, but everything is presented in a clean and modern way. To me that is what culture really is. It evolves but it stays rooted. Coffiyeh reflects that.

What do you hope for customers to take away after visiting your shop?

I hope people leave feeling connected. Not just to the drink but to the story behind it. We put meaning behind every detail.

I want people to feel warmth, curiosity, and a little piece of our culture. If they walk away feeling inspired or seen, or like they experienced something new and beautiful, then that is everything to me.

Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Coffiyeh is more than a coffee brand for us. It is a reflection of who we are and where we come from. It is creativity, resilience, and storytelling through something as comforting as coffee.

As we reach our one year anniversary, I feel so grateful for every person who supported us, believed in us, and shared our journey. This is just the beginning, and I cannot wait to keep growing and sharing our story one cup at a time.