Gaza's Dream Cafe
From the rubbles of Gaza to the buckle of America's Bible Belt, the story of one man's dream to bring Arabic coffee and culture to a polarized world.
When you think about a seaside cafe what comes to mind?
For me, it’s the cafe I stopped over at Lorne, Australia. We were driving back to Melbourne after a day of exploring the scenic views and beach towns along the Great Ocean Drive when I noticed a quaint little coffeehouse on the roadside overlooking the ocean. Since then, I’ve dreamt of opening my own cafe someday, when I am ready to slow down and ease into life.
For world travelers, Mykonos (Greece), seems to be the hot spot to relax by the seaside with their favorite cup o’ joe. Similar bucket list destinations flaunt breathtaking views, attracting tourists from all over the world to the lure of watching boats pass by as they sip on a cappuccino.
Unique cafes are popping up everywhere, even in small remote forgotten places. In my hometown in South India, we now have a retro themed highway tea stop which has been capturing the intrigue of young Instagrammer’s. Their USP? A recreated 1970’s village vibe! All it takes is one reel from an influencer to ensure their cash registers don’t stop ringing. The only caveat is that the place needs to be easily accessible, politically stable, and structurally intact.
For Yosef, his unique cafe was supposed to be in his homeland - the Gaza Strip.
It would have been centrally located on his beach-facing family land situated alongside Al Rashid Street, bringing Gazans from the North and the South of the strip to experience a cafe culture that’s not common to the region.
Yosef dreamt a life of a cafe owner. He would start his day early to serve his famous Mazaj Latte to the morning commuters along the Gaza strip, to brighten up their morning with the freshness of pistachios and cardamom infused in his signature drinks.
It would have been Deir Al Balah’s very own Deir Cafe, if October 7th, 2023, was just another peaceful day in the Gaza Strip.
That morning, when yet another Israel-Palestinian war was about to become breaking news, Yosef logged into zoom waiting for his interior designer in Gaza to join from the site, eager to see the progress they were making on his dream seaside cafe. No one joined. Instead, he received a call from his cousin in the Gaza Strip about the unfolding situation.
We all know what happened next. As millions in Gaza woke up from their dreams to the nightmare that would upend their lives for more than a year, Yosef watched another war break out in his homeland.
War was not new to Gaza nor was it to Yosef. He had seen the loss and devastation it brought from the frontlines during the Israel-Palestinian conflict1 of 2020. Yosef was a young aspiring doctor of internal medicine at the time, working in every ward at the Al-Shifa Hospital2 as part of his residency, including the casualty ward where his steady hands were entrusted to stitch up war-torn men, women and children of the Gaza Strip.
The Al-Shifa Hospital is in ruins today, and buried underneath the rubbles are the dreams and aspirations of many Gazans. Only some got to live another day, to rewrite their stories, or to rebuild their dreams. Yosef was one of the lucky few.
In November 2024, a year after that fateful October day, Deir Cafe opened its door 7000 miles away at the buckle of America’s Bible Belt in Nashville, Tennessee. At this ethnically inspired coffee house there is no calming sea breeze flowing in nor the warmth of an Arabian sun shining through. The setting is wildly different from what Yosef had imagined it would be, but the culture of Gaza thrives at this little neighborhood cafe through inspired lattes, tasty treats, and lively conversations.
Today, 6 months in, Yosef serves a diverse customer base - Middle Eastern, American, Asian, and Indian; families, students, tourists, and local Nashvillians. People from all walks of life find their way to Deir Cafe, the first Palestinian-owned cafe in Middle Tennessee.
As I sit here and write this, an Egyptian artist fills the air with soft tunes, and Yosef is busy preparing orders one by one, making his unique cardamom and pistachio infused caffeinated drinks for customers who hang out for hours together. The doorbell chimes as customers pop in and out with their takeaway coffee, and on the paper cups they find their names inscribed in Arabic.
For many the cafe is a home away from home. For some the cafe pays tribute to what got lost in conflict. For me this is a place that brings back fond memories of a childhood long gone.
It’s peaceful here. No politics, no fights, no divide.
At Deir Café3 everyone is welcome.
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I hope to visit this cafe one day, it sounds great! Thanks for sharing his story!
What a beautiful piece. I wish Yosef all the best and hope to one day visit deir cafe