In recent months, Richmond’s coffee scene has seen the arrival of a flurry of fresh choices, from a spacious Yemeni coffee shop and a bookstore-cafe hybrid near VCU to a Middle Eastern cafe in the West End. We spill the beans on these new additions and take a sneak peek at a handful of forthcoming coffee shops.
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Keith and Mailie Duffin, spouses and owners of Abi’s Books & Brews (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Inside Abi’s Books & Brews (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Abi’s Books & Brews is located close to the campus of VCU. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
1212 1/2 W. Cary St.
Story: Richmond transplants, spouses and owners Keith and Mailie Duffin operate a hybrid cafe-bookstore that opened at the end of November around the corner from VCU. “What goes better than books and coffee?” Keith muses. The 40-seat cafe and bookshop features exposed brick, a tin ceiling and a wall of bookshelves stocked with over 2,500 selections, along with a Banned Book Nook. Focused on community and creating a safe space for all, Abi’s Books & Brews hosts events including trivia and open mic nights, writer workshops, and knitting clubs.
Drinks: Classic options from drip coffee to cold brew; specialty sips including the Matcha Maven, made with ceremonial-grade matcha and creamy coconut milk; and a seasonal campfire latte. Starting Feb. 25, Abi’s will introduce Turkish coffee service on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Food: Rotating pastries from Bellevue’s Up All Night Bakery and other local bakeries, plus gelato from Deluca Gelato
Hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
—Eileen Mellon
Fairuz Cafe serves Arabic coffee. (Photo by Genevlyn Steele)
11254 Patterson Ave.
Story: Fairuz Cafe began roasting beans for its Turkish coffee, which is prepared over warm sand, last October. The steamy, espresso-sized servings of coffee arrive in a china cup, redolent with the scent of crushed cardamom and sporting a nugget of dark chocolate to sweeten the thick, strong sipper. This coffee, snack and dessert shop has quickly made the Village at Tuckahoe shopping center a third place for its noncaffeinated neighbors and a coffee destination for experience seekers because of its spaciousness, long hours and family-friendly environment.
Drinks: Warm drinks include Iraqi (and English) tea and coffee, espresso drinks, and American favorites such as frappuccino. The iced pistachio latte is a creamy, decadent standout, but if you want to make an impression, bring in a photo to have it made into latte art. The cafe has a machine that imprints images onto warm foam.
Food: Fairuz Cafe caters to both Middle Eastern and Western patrons by offering a menu of savory and sweet treats. Lebanese favorites such as hummus plates and baklava share tabletops with chocolate cake, napoleons and cheesecakes. A tremendous case of Egyptian phyllo dough pastries merits an afternoon exploration guided by your barista, likely one of the cafe’s owners.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
—Genevelyn Steele
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Qahwah House specializes in Yemeni coffee. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Inside Qahwah House (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The pastry case at Qahwah House (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
900 W. Franklin St.
Story: Located in the former Virginia Book Company on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, Qahwah House introduced its first Virginia location in December. With over 20 outposts, the Yemeni coffee shop was founded in Dearborn, Michigan, and has been growing steadily since making its debut in 2017. Named after the Arabic word for coffee, Qawah House features nods to Yemeni culture, from a family tree on the wall to Arabic dallah coffee pots. Owner Ibrahim Alhasbani sources beans directly from Yemen, where his family has been operating a farm for eight generations. Super spacious and always buzzing, this is an ideal spot to settle in for work or to gather with friends. It’s common to spot students sitting at tables with their laptops and a glass coffee or teapot, routinely topping off small steel cups.
Drinks: Coffee spiked with spices such as cardamom, ginger and saffron, and iced options including brown sugar and pistachio latte and Yemeni chai.
Food: The pastry case showcases treats including khaliat alnahl (butter- and cheese-filled rolls drizzled with honey), pistachio milk cake and Jabal Saber cake (triple-chocolate cake bites named for a mountain range in Yemen).
Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight daily
—EM
Coming Soon
Owner Michelle Langham and a friend in the front window of Purrfect Bean (Photo courtesy Michelle Langham)
214 N. Lombardy St.
Story: The feline-friendly cat cafe Richmond residents have been waiting for, Purrfect Bean is set to open in early April as a multilevel coffee shop and cat rescue, taking over the former Westray’s Finest Ice Cream space on Lombardy Street. The owner of the cafe is Michelle Langham, a former Falls Church librarian who began working as an adoption counselor at the Richmond SPCA after relocating to the area in 2022.
Noticing the lack of cat cafes in Richmond, Langham decided to start one. “A cat cafe is kind of one of those things where I could still rescue animals and do my passion but also run a business,” she says. The first floor, a warm space dotted with pops of earthy green and gold and plush seats, featuring a mural of the RVA skyline and a cat wallpaper-adorned bathroom, will serve as the cafe. Walk upstairs to enter the certified cat lounge, a hangout housing up to eight adoptable cats.
Drinks: The cafe plans to serve classic and seasonal drinks and source beans from Afterglow Coffee Cooperative and tea from The Spice & Tea Exchange of Richmond.
Food: All vegan, all the time. While the pastry partnership is TBD, Langham will source breads from Two and a Half Irishmen.
Hours: 10 a.m to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
—EM
Located at 215 W. Clay St., this Arts District coffee lounge is introducing an omakase (chef’s choice)-style sipping experience where patrons can sample the beans of the day during a guided tasting (reservations only). Calyx Cafe will host its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 22, along with an afternoon Latte Art Throwdown.
Cue the tunes and cozy up with a cup: Richmond’s first hybrid cafe and record shop is about to start spinning. Opening on Friday, Feb. 28, at 109 E. Broad St., Le Cache Dulcet is the brainchild of Patrick Weaver. While road tripping across the country, Weaver found himself continually plotting pit stops at two of his favorite places — record stores and cafes.
Peaberry Coffee House
The owner of Liberty Public House, Riverbend Roastery and the forthcoming Chimbo Sandwich Shoppe strikes again with a new cafe. Alexa Schuett recently signed a lease and plans to introduce Peaberry Coffee House at 1301 N. 32nd St., just blocks away from Riverbend Roastery.
