The Al Qassim-based coffee chain has opened an outlet in New York’s ‘Little Yemen’ neighbourhood, serving a diverse coffee menu featuring western and Middle East-inspired beverages
Kyan Café’s US menu features americanos alongside Saudi and Turkish coffee | Photo credit: Kyan Café/Facebook
Al Qassim-based Kyan Café has become the first branded coffee chain from Saudi Arabia to launch in the US.
Founded in 2009, Kyan Café is the sixth largest branded coffee chain in the Middle East, with more than 340 outlets across Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.
Kyan Café opened its first store outside of the Middle East in the Morris Park neighbourhood of the Bronx, also known as ‘Little Yemen’ due to its high concentration of Yemeni-owned businesses.
The brand’s US menu features americanos priced from $2.99 and lattes from $4.99 alongside Saudi and Turkish coffee starting from $2.99.
World Coffee Portal’s Project Café USA 2025 report shows the total US branded coffee shop market comprises more than 42,770 outlets, with 500 unique brands currently operating in the country.
However, despite strong competition in a crowded market, the US continues to attract international operators – with China’s Cotti Coffee, Vietnam’s Trung Nguyên Legend and the UK’s WatchHouse among those to enter the market within the last 18 months. In October 2024, Chinese market leader Luckin Coffee confirmed it was ‘actively evaluating’ a US launch.
Kyan Café could soon face competition in the US from Saudi Arabia’s largest homegrown coffee chain Barn’s which announced plans to launch in the country last year. Jeddah-based Barn’s signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Abu Dhabi-based consumer goods import specialist UrbanTrade International in August 2023 to facilitate the move, with a first Manhattan outlet originally planned for the first quarter of 2024.
In October 2024, Barn’s CEO Mohammed Al Zain told World Coffee Portal that the business was investing in building ‘comprehensive administrative systems’ to support international growth outside of the Middle East, with expansion to 10 international markets currently planned.