The Grind Behind the Valiant Arch: Inside Haraz Coffee House
The former ToBox space next to Boyds is now a Yemeni coffee house with gold chandeliers and a back room you’ll want to move into.
If you’ve walked past 1822 Chestnut lately, right next to Boyds, you’ve probably noticed the lights are finally on. Like, really on. Haraz Coffee House is officially open in Rittenhouse, and there are now two gold chandeliers hanging where the “Brewing Soon” signs used to be.
The Shoes That Came Before
The space had been dark since 2019, when ToBox, the men’s shoe boutique with the moody blue walls and the deer-antler centerpiece, closed up shop. So walking back into the historic Elon Dunbar House retail space feels a little like running into an old friend who got a very expensive but very natural-looking makeover.
The building itself which is now residential apartments with “Valiant” still carved above the door and that gorgeous polychromatic terracotta arch, is one of the more distinctive storefronts on Chestnut. During construction, the “Brewing Soon” signs sat in the windows for months, Haraz’s gold flame logo peeking through the glass and testing everyone’s patience.
A Small Cathedral for Espresso
The restoration leans HARD into the heritage bones of the building, and thank goodness, because those bones are stunning. The ornate terracotta doorway, pineapples and Art Nouveau flourishes included, has been fully preserved.
Inside, the original plaster ceilings with their scrollwork and floral rosettes are on full display. Add two enormous gold-tiered chandeliers and the front room feels less like a coffee shop and more like a small cathedral for espresso.
It took a while to get here. Owners Farah Khan and Hamza Shaikh have said that high renovation costs and the hunt for skilled construction crews slowed things BUT was it worth the wait? Walk in and look up.
The Back Room Is the Main Event
Here’s what we didn’t see coming: there’s a whole second room in back, and it might be the prettiest part of the place. Backlit arched niches lined with intricate tilework. A long marble bar with caramel leather stools. A proper lounge corner with a cream tufted velvet sofa tucked between two more glowing arches. Plenty of room to settle in with friends for a while!
None of this was accidental, by the way: the design brief called for tiles imported from Turkey, backlit arches, and ornate handrails crafted locally, all working together to marry Middle Eastern architecture with the historic Philadelphia shell.
From the Haraz Mountains to Chestnut Street
The name comes from the Haraz Mountains in western Yemen, where the coffee is grown organically and dried in the sun. The menu leans traditional, with Mofawar (coffee, cardamom and cream), Adeni tea, Jubani, and spiced coffees made with ginger, cinnamon and saffron. If you’re sticking with what you know, there’s a full espresso menu too, plus pistachio lattes, matcha and refreshers. We went with the cold brew and the iced banana latte, and both were pretty damn good.
Before you leave, check out the retail shelf. You’ll find bags of Harazi, Adeni and Turkish beans in medium and dark roasts, plus traditional gold dallah coffee pots and thermal carafes if you want to take the whole ritual home.
Come Hungry, Leave With a Dubai Brownie
The cases are STOCKED by the way! On the pastry side there’s pain au chocolat, almond croissants, apricot tarts, apple turnovers, coffee cake muffins and chocolate soufflés, with spinach-feta puffs holding it down for the savory crowd.
Then there’s the dessert case: strawberry mascarpone cake, caramel mascarpone, Dubai brownies, caramel pecan bars, cannoli cake and a mixed berry tart. Pace yourself. Or don’t.
Two Down, One to Brew
With Haraz open, that makes TWO of the three Yemeni coffee shops headed to the Rittenhouse area now officially pouring — MOTW Coffee & Pastries at 2101 Market Street opened earlier this year, and Haraz just joined the party here at 1822 Chestnut. Still to come: Jabal Coffee House at 1524 Chestnut, which looks like it may happen next year as no activity has been happening.
Haraz’s Rittenhouse location is the third in the Philly area for franchise owners Farah Khan and Hamza Shaikh, following their first at 3421 Chestnut Street near the University of Pennsylvania campus and the Fishtown cafe at 23 West Girard Avenue that opened October 10. The brand itself has grown fast! Haraz Coffee House was founded in Michigan in 2021 by Yemeni entrepreneur Hamzeh Nasser and has expanded to more than 30 locations in the United States, with more than 180 cafes in development.
Part of what makes these spaces feel different from your usual coffee shop is the hours and the intent behind them; our Haraz has just opened and will gradually extend their hours into the night, to offer a true, third space.
Go Say Marhaba
With Boyds next door and that terracotta arch finally lit up again, this stretch of Chestnut feels a whole lot more alive than it did in the past. The staff is still coming up to speed but go say hi, grab a Mofawar, snag a Dubai brownie, and post up in one of those arched-niche nooks in the back— you know you deserve it!
