Socotra Yemeni Coffee Company brings historic coffee beans to Temple Terrace

Coffee from the birthplace of brewing

Socotra Yemeni Coffee Company in Temple Terrace offers coffee lovers a chance to experience not only fresh roasted coffee, but Yemeni coffee beans that are from the birthplace of the brewed coffee industry.

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. - Socotra Yemeni Coffee Company in Temple Terrace offers coffee lovers a chance to experience not only fresh roasted coffee, but Yemeni coffee beans that are from the birthplace of the brewed coffee industry.

The backstory:

Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee plant, but in Yemen, the coffee beans became a favorite as that is where they were roasted and served to help Sufi monks stay awake in long night prayer sessions.

The genetic descendants of those premium origin beans are what Socotra serves fresh every day.

Where does their coffee come from?

"Socotra is a Yemeni coffee shop," Hamzah Al-Abdi said. "Socotra, the name comes from islands in Yemen. This island is famous with the trees."

Those trees are the evergreens that produce the coffee cherries that have the seeds we know as coffee beans. Those beans come from the Arabica roots from the 15th century plants that established the Yemeni mountain sides in coffee history.

"Yemeni coffee has that different taste because it’s grown in the mountains, the mountains in Yemen," Al-Abdi said. "We have a roaster here, we roast our coffee, and we make everything in-house."

So the aroma of that fresh roasted coffee can help the customer conjure up the warmth and feelings of the first coffee experiences centuries ago.

READ: Tampa named one of best coffee cities in America: Report

Does Socotra also sell food?

"We bring a culture, we bring… coffee, we bring love and family here," Al-Abdi said. "People want to meet, do something. We bring them the best coffee, the best dessert. We try to bring the environment to it."

Dig deeper:

Al-Abdi and his crew will serve up coffee favorites to customers that come in, but they also bring some adventurous options to the table as well.

"We offer some of the coffee from [an] espresso bar all the way up, from cappuccino and everything, pistachio latte, lotus latte9s0," Al-Abdi said. "And we have the Adeni tea, that's something from my culture."

The baked goods that go with the coffees accentuate the flavors no matter what brew style the customer chooses.

They offer cheese fatayer; a soft dough filled with a blend of cheeses, musakhan rolls, golden-brown wraps, spinach feta danish. These are flaky, lattice-topped pastries filled with a spinach and feta mixture; Sfiha or meat pies; open-faced or closed flatbreads topped with spiced minced lamb or beef.

They also have sweets with milk cakes, heart-shaped mousse cakes, red velvet cake, tarts, beehive bites and Sabaya.

"Come enjoy the environment, enjoy the vibe of Socotra, try the coffee, and I believe they will love it," Al-Abdi said.

READ: Tampa couple brews up viral success with giant coffee cup café 

Where is Socotra Coffee Company?

To visit Socotra Yemeni Coffee Company, you will find them east of 56th Street at 6860 E. Fowler Ave. in Temple Terrace. To see their menu and hours, visit their website here.