When we last spoke with Yemen Cafe's owners, New York City's dining landscape was in the throes of the pandemic. Despite these challenges, the cafe was a beacon of generosity, offering meals to hospitals and essential workers. Today, the first Yemeni restaurant in the United States, with its two bustling locations, isn’t just surviving – it's thriving. The restaurant consistently ranks “#1 most loved” in Brooklyn on DoorDash, and has won the hearts of many.
We recently sat down with Ali and Sid, the cousins behind Yemen Cafe’s success, to talk about the secret sauce of their family business, and how Otter helps them thrive on delivery apps. Read on for a funny and fascinating Q&A.
Could you share Yemen Cafe’s history with us?
We've been a social and culinary cornerstone for the Yemeni community since the '80s. Starting as a social club in the Cobble Hill area, we've evolved into a space of food and fellowship that aims to help Yemenis transition into American life.
Tell us about the family aspect of your business.
Each of us has our pursuits outside the restaurant. My cousins Ali and Muhammad, who you met, work mornings; I take evenings. Aside from my role here, I'm a recruiter and systems engineer. My brother's an airline captain, and we have a cousin in law enforcement. Yet we all find time to contribute to the restaurant. It's our common ground, our meeting place. Even my son spends time here after school. It helps preserve our language and culture.
You mentioned the cafe’s Atlantic Avenue location was the original. When did your new location open?
When it became clear there were enough of us to run this business, about eight, we thought, "Let's expand." So, along with my brother, we opened this second location to accommodate our growing family business.
How important is Yemen Cafe for the Arab community in Brooklyn?
Community is key – it's everything to us. We're there for the weddings and the funerals, we're always gathering. We find reasons, it's like… have you seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding?
What’s the difference between serving Yemeni food to people who are familiar with it versus those who are less familiar?
Serving Yemeni food comes naturally to us; we've been doing it our whole lives. When someone says they've never had Middle Eastern food, particularly Yemeni food, we recognize a chance to introduce our unique flavors.
Middle Eastern cuisine varies – whether it's Palestinian, Syrian, or Yemeni – each region has a distinct approach, yet there are similarities. Yemeni food is known for its robust flavors: a fusion of spicy Pakistani-Indian influences with lighter Mediterranean touches. It's our preparation and exotic spices that distinguish our dishes. For example, asida, a traditional dish, is served differently across the Middle East.
For those unfamiliar with our cuisine, three menu items stand out. First, asida, a doughy staple often paired with soup or broth. It’s no longer on the menu because it’s definitely an acquired taste. Then, there's fahsa, a daily Yemeni dish served boiling in a clay pot resembling a volcano. Finally, the popular roasted lamb dish, mandi, which put our restaurant on the map.
The last time we connected with you, it was 2020 – the height of the pandemic. Despite every restaurant in New York getting dealt a tough hand, you committed to giving back to the community. How did this affect your restaurant?
The pandemic was a frightening experience we'd never faced before. We were in disbelief, then reality struck as we witnessed fear and chaos. We decided to support the first responders by delivering meals to local hospitals and precincts. Our efforts, highlighted on social media, were noticed by World Central Kitchen, which expanded our reach to shelters and other hospitals. We went from serving hundreds of plates a day to thousands, which let us rehire staff to meet the demand.
And it's funny! I still go to the hospital today, and when they find out that I'm from Yemen Cafe, they really show appreciation. They're like, "Oh, I remember you guys were giving us food." And so it was worth it. It was awesome. I mean, that's so incredible. I feel like that’s one of the reasons Yemen Cafe has lasted since the 80s and we've got to open another location. It’s because we're so rooted in the community, and we give back.
As a top-ranking restaurant on DoorDash, what advice would you offer other restaurant owners aiming for a similar achievement?
We definitely make sure that we're cooking our dishes the exact same way we were in 1984.Authentic Yemeni food is what we're known for. Now, you can't come to Yemen Cafe looking for burgers, but you know, if you want that traditional fahsa or salta or roasted lamb, mandi, we're definitely the restaurant that they'll come to for that.
What made you interested in trying Otter?
We wanted to take advantage of technology to bring our food to more people. That’s just the truth, right? There's more people seeing our restaurant through applications like Otter and DoorDash and all the other platforms. . We could have never reached it from the get-go.
What was business like before and after Otter?
Honestly, before Otter, I hated it. I hated how many tablets we had and how everything was just set up. We actually had two pieces of plywood that were leaning on top of things with six or seven different tablets. And once [we were introduced to Otter], I was like, dude, just do it. If it eliminates that whole thing and it's just one tablet, then let's do it. It's the best thing we did for the restaurant. That was the most beautiful thing, it was amazing.
What’s your favorite Otter feature?
Your technology, especially Order Management, has been a big part of our success. Companies like Otter have really helped us bring our traditional, authentic Yemeni food to the public. We're making less mistakes on orders.
Since we started using Otter, things have improved significantly, like with the Menu Manager. Before, I had to contact each delivery partner individually to request changes. Now, with Otter, it's a simple process where I can make changes across all platforms at once. It's a huge time-saver.
It's also streamlined our backend processes. There's no need to log in separately for different apps. Otter takes care of it all. This has saved us a lot of time and reduced the training needed for each separate platform.
Even our workers who barely speak English are able to log into Otter and it’s easy for them to use. And now you guys just started an app with the mobile devices, like with the reports and everything, which I love, you know what I mean? It shows, like, the breakdown of what you're getting from this company, what you're getting from that, which is nice.
Otter’s Auto-Accept feature is crucial for us, especially during busy periods. It automatically prints orders in the kitchen, so we can avoid missed orders and penalties. This automation has significantly smoothed our operations and supported our staff during peak times.
How much of your budget is currently allocated to delivery services? Has that changed significantly after the pandemic?
Actually, after the pandemic, our delivery services just exploded. Before, it was a minor part of our business, but now… What's amusing is that we expected online orders to decrease after the pandemic and return to pre-pandemic levels. That didn't happen. People still prefer to order online; they don't want to go out. It's quite a sight – every hour, we see six or seven different delivery couriers. Before, we just had one guy delivering our food. Now, we see an array of drivers showing up, presenting their iPhones with the order, making the exchange, and quickly heading off.
What's even more interesting is their reaction to our food. Many delivery drivers come back as customers themselves after their shift ends. And we always offer complimentary tea – it's a small gesture they've come to anticipate.
What makes Yemen Cafe stand out?
I'll be honest, I've ordered online deliveries for myself at home. Sometimes the food arrives cold, or the packaging is damaged. That's why we're exceedingly careful with our packaging. We ensure that when [our food] reaches the customer, it's warm, so they can enjoy the same taste as if they were dining in our restaurant.
We also put a lot of effort into showing our customers the cooking process through videos we post online, like how we make our bread from scratch. It's not just about rolling out the dough; it involves a traditional tandoori oven.
It's increasingly rare to find establishments that do everything from scratch. We've been doing it since 1986 because we're committed to quality. Even during COVID, when others cut corners to maintain profits, we refused to compromise on the quality of our food. If we did, it would go against everything we stand for. This business isn't just a business to us; it's a tradition of giving back to the community – something my father and grandfather instilled in us.
What makes your menu special?
If you're looking to try different, out-of-the-box food, we accommodate that. We eat communally with food in the center. Everyone digs in. It's the Yemeni way. At Yemen Cafe, you'll get the closest experience to actually being in Yemen.
What advice would you give to someone who dreams of opening a restaurant?
It's tough, because we were born into this business. It looks easy to us because we were raised in it. My advice: if you haven't worked in a restaurant before, get experience first. We all know how to cook every dish, which came from our family ensuring we learned from a young age.
How did your family prepare you for running a restaurant?
We started cooking as kids. If a chef was out, we could step in. We keep each other in check and support one another. It’s hard work, but being raised in it, we learned to respect every role, from dishwasher on up.
How do you preserve food traditions at Yemen Cafe?
We honor our recipes passed down through generations, keeping them authentic since 1984.
That’s why Yemen Cafe is New York’s #1 Yemeni restaurant!
A strong work ethic and a powerful desire to share Yemeni cuisine have made Ali and Sid culinary leaders in NYC. With their dedication to serving authentic Yemenite meals, it’s no wonder that Yemen Cafe has thrived for nearly four decades. Now, in the post-pandemic world, this slice of Yemen continues to win customers and orders with Otter’s Restaurant Operating System. We look forward to Yemen Cafe’s continued success – and to our next stop at New York’s top Yemeni eatery!
