Frequently Asked Questions

AQeek is a Yemeni specialty coffee company based in Dearborn, Michigan. We import and roast coffee sourced directly from Yemen, supply cafés wholesale, resell La Marzocco equipment as an authorized dealer, and help entrepreneurs launch coffee shops from concept to opening day. We have helped launch 78+ coffee shops across the United States.

Our headquarters is at 13250 Rotunda Dr, Suite D, Dearborn, Michigan. We work with café owners nationwide, and our clients range from California to New York.

AQeek was founded by Awwad Alghazali, a Q Grader and SCA-certified coffee professional who has spent 9 years building coffee businesses and reviving Yemen's coffee heritage.

Based on AQeek's own café launch projects, a typical independent coffee shop costs around $236,000 to open. Here is how that usually breaks down:

• Build-out and construction: about $150,000. This is the biggest cost and varies the most. An existing café space can cost far less than a raw shell.
• Equipment: about $45,000. Espresso machine, grinders, brewers, refrigeration and smallwares.
• Opening inventory: about $21,000. Coffee, milk, syrups, cups, packaging and other supplies to open your doors.
• Working capital: about $20,000. A cash reserve to cover payroll and expenses while sales ramp up.

Your actual cost depends on your location, space and menu. In your first consultation, we build a budget for your specific project.

We charge a fixed consulting fee, never royalties or a percentage of your sales. Because every café is different, we quote your fee after a first call where we learn about your space, menu, timeline and goals. You'll know the full fee and what it covers before you sign anything.

With a franchise, you pay an upfront franchise fee plus ongoing royalties, often a percentage of every sale, for as long as you operate. You also follow someone else's brand and rules.

AQeek charges a fixed consulting fee with no royalties, ever. You keep 100% of your revenue and own your brand, recipes and business outright. You get the expertise and systems of a proven launch team without a franchise contract.

1. Contact us by form or phone.
2. First consultation: we discuss your concept, location, budget and timeline.
3. Proposal: you receive a fixed-fee proposal with the full scope of work.
4. Agreement: once signed, we start planning your café together.
5. Launch: we guide build-out, equipment, menu and training through opening day.

Our full café launch package covers:

• Concept, brand direction and business planning
• Layout and workflow design for your bar and service area
• Equipment selection and sourcing, including La Marzocco
• Signature menu and drink development
• Barista training and written standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Quality control standards for taste and consistency
• Coffee supply from our Yemeni and specialty roasts

A typical launch takes 4–6 months from signed agreement to opening day. The main variables are permitting, construction and equipment lead times in your city.

We work with clients nationwide. Depending on your project, we work on-site, remotely, or a mix of both. We'll recommend the right approach for your café in your first consultation.

Yes. We redesign workflows to cut wait times, retrain staff, rebuild menus and set quality standards. Cafés we have optimized report efficiency gains of 25–40%, based on AQeek's own optimization projects.

Yes. AQeek is an authorized La Marzocco USA reseller. We also source grinders, brewers and café equipment through a network of 38+ verified suppliers, and we guide installation and setup.

The Barista Academy is our hands-on training program for new and existing café teams. It covers espresso fundamentals, milk steaming and latte art, equipment care, and customer service. Training is led by industry professionals and Starbucks Academy–certified trainers. We have trained 300+ teams and delivered 4,500+ training hours.

Yemen is where coffee was first cultivated and traded commercially. The port of Mokha gave "mocha" its name. Yemeni coffee grows on high-altitude mountain terraces, mostly from heirloom varieties, and is usually sun-dried as whole cherries. The result is a complex cup with notes often described as dried fruit, chocolate and spice. It is also rare: Yemen produces a tiny share of the world's coffee.

We source directly from farmers in Yemen's Haraz and Bura'a regions. Every lot is evaluated by a licensed Q Grader before we import and roast it, so you get verified specialty quality.

We roast our own coffee, so we control quality from the farm lot to the bag. If you need roast-date details for a specific product or wholesale order, contact our team.

Home brewers can order online in our shop, including our Yemeni Espresso Blend, Yemeni Turkish Coffee, and Hoopoe Single-Origin beans. AQeek coffee is also carried by 190+ retail stores nationwide.

Yes. Cafés, restaurants and retailers can order wholesale through our dedicated platform at AQeek.net.

Minimums and pricing depend on the products and volumes you need. Visit AQeek.net or contact our team and we'll share the details for your business.

Shipping times depend on your order and location. You'll see details when you order on AQeek.net, or our team can give you a timeline for your order.

Yes. We produce custom paper cups, gift tumblers, and coffee bags with foil-stamped branding in 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz sizes. The minimum order is 2,500 units, with a typical lead time of 10–14 days. Custom molds, glaze colors and packaging are available on request.