Shibam Coffee (Chicago)

Shibam Coffee is named for Shibam, the walled Yemeni city of mudbrick towers often called the oldest skyscraper city in the world, and the chain leans on that heritage in its rooms and its cups. The company began in Dearborn, Michigan in 2022 and spread through Ohio and Texas before reaching Illinois; the North Park store, which opened on 21 December 2025, is its eleventh. Student reporters at the neighboring Northside College Prep, whose paper covered the opening in March 2026, noted the intricate light fixtures and wall art and quoted a Shibam employee explaining that the name is an ode to the Yemeni city known for its coffee. All coffee beans and tea are imported directly from Yemen to preserve the flavor profile the shops are built around.

The menu is organized by tradition first. The Yemeni tea section runs from Adeni tea - black tea simmered with cardamom and milk - through mufawar, a milk tea gently infused with cardamom; sana'ani, a spice-forward classic; jubani, a bold brew with a deep smoky finish; and rad'ai, lightly sweet and aromatic. On the coffee side there is qishr, the coffee-husk tea with ginger and spices, plus Saudi coffee with cardamom, Turkish coffee brewed unfiltered, and the house Shibam blend. A full espresso list, matcha, and non-caffeinated refreshers including a Mojito of mint, lime and soda that the menu itself flags as alcohol-free fill out the rest, and the pastry case carries sabaya, honeycomb bread, basbousa and milk cake. Nothing on the list contains alcohol. Google lists the cafe as open from 7am to midnight every day, though at least one aggregator lists a 10pm close - either way this is an evening room, which is what makes it a genuine alternative to a bar on the far North Side. The chain also runs its own ordering app and an online shop selling the same Yemeni beans it brews, and it lists franchising alongside its store locator.