Trend alert: Turkish coffee charms Charlotte with ancient flavors, rich culture
While Charlotte isn’t yet considered a “coffee” hub like, say, Miami or New York City, the city’s coffee culture continues to evolve. International cafes like Haraz, Qahwah House and Bayt Al Mocha — set to open later this year — have brought Yemen and Middle Eastern flavors to the city, diversifying Charlotte’s coffee scene one brew at a time.
Now, a new kind of coffee shop has emerged: Turkish cafes.
Recently, Charlotte has welcomed two new Turkish coffee shops: Anatolia Cafe & Cuisine and Vavela Cafe. What do these two cafes have in common? A rich culture, ancient tradition and decidedly strong coffee.
Building community through coffee
For husband-and-wife team Mehmet and Gehra Tarhan, opening Anatolia Cafe & Cuisine gave them the opportunity to share their culture with Charlotte. The duo recently moved to the Queen City from Wisconsin, but Gehra originally hails from Morocco and Mehmet is from the Anatolia region of Turkey — hence the cafe’s name.
Anatolia — historically known as Asia Minor — is an ancient, culturally significant peninsula that’s been home to a wide range of civilizations over the course of thousands of years. The cafe aims to share the authentic flavors of Anatolia here in the South.
“In our culture, we gather around food — we all share our food with everyone,” Gehra Tarhan explained. “We thought it would be great for us to build community and share our culture with our new community, to get to know people and enjoy the city, as well.”
Anatolia is almost entirely family-run, from Turkish chefs Omer Aydin and Deniz Yidiz, cousin and nephew to Mehmet, respectively, down to the baristas.
“It’s very family-oriented,” Tarhan said. “Our team is diverse, and our customers are also diverse.”
Not quite espresso, but definitely strong — what is Turkish coffee?
Turkish coffee isn’t a type of coffee, but rather a style of brewing where preparation can vary from region-to-region and family-to-family. Some prefer the sweetness of a little extra sugar or additions of spices like cardamom and cinnamon, while others crave the jolt and natural bitterness of a black, unfiltered pour.
“One sip and I couldn’t sleep all night, even though I have a newborn,” Tarhan said with a laugh. “It’s really strong, and it’s sweet and it’s thick.”
To make Turkish coffee, you start with extremely fine ground coffee — preferably arabica beans. Anatolia works with a local roaster for its espresso beans. The cafe also has African, South American and Turkish-sourced coffee.
The coffee is prepared in a special pot called a cezve — also referred to as an ibrik in other parts of the Middle East. It’s a small, often copper pot, with a long handle. The coffee grounds, water and sugar are mixed together and brought to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts frothing, it’s served in small cups, similar to those used for espresso.
Unlike the fast-past, on-the-go coffee culture of America, Turkish coffee is meant to be savored. It’s often served after dinner and is meant to be enjoyed in social settings, like cafes.
Ancient flavors and traditions
Robust, bitter, slightly earthy and sure to wake you up — Turkish coffee is an ancient caffeinated beverage that is steeped in tradition.
Unlike the modern syrup-laced latte of today, drinking Turkish coffee is like tasting the ancient flavors of yore. The origin of the drink can be traced all the way back to the mid-1500s, during the Ottoman Empire.
Traditionally, Turkish coffee is brewed by sticking the cezve into hot sand in a pot over an open flame, an ancient method that quickly brings the coffee to a delicious, frothy state.
At Anatolia, the Turkish coffee is prepared the traditional way, sand and all.
“We have the sand,” Tarhan said. “ We also have a Turkish coffee maker from Turkey.”
Because Turkish coffee is unfiltered, you’ll find sediments at the end of your drink. But don’t worry, this is normal and a sign of good preparation. It’s also part of a tradition.
Sometimes, Tarhan explained, women will flip the cups over and try and try to decipher the meaning left behind by the coffee sediment — kind of like reading your fortune in tea leaves.
“Usually the ladies do that for fun, kind of like a physic thing,” Tarhan explained. “They flip the cup and wait for a little bit, and then they will start telling me, ‘this is gonna happen’ or ‘you have some trouble coming up.’”
Another tradition involves preparing your husband a salty, difficult-to-drink version of Turkish coffee on your wedding day. When Gehra married Mehmet, she served him a Turkish coffee laced with salt and paprika. The ritual, she explained, is a test of the groom’s character.
“I put a lot of salt and paprika and heavy spices, while they made sweet Turkish coffee for everyone else,” she explained. “When they serve the coffee to the groom, he’s supposed to drink it without complaining — that’s a sign that he’s going to be a good husband.”
Turkish cuisine
Alongside coffee, Anatolia Cafe offers traditional bites like beef pide (a Turkish-style “canoe-shaped” pizza), kebabs and börek — a phyllo pastry with a variety of savory fillings — and much more. And, as far as sweets go, Tarhan said Anatolia Cafe has plenty.
”The pastries are very authentic and unique to Charlotte,” she told CharlotteFive.
The common thread
As Charlotte continues to grow, will the city see more Turkish and Middle Eastern cafes open in the future? It certainly seems so. With the additions of coffee shops like Anatolia Cafe and Cuisine and Valvela Cafe, Charlotte is expanding its horizons and broadening its palate.
Valvela Cafe is also family-owned and operated with a mission to share traditional Turkish coffee and cuisine with Charlotte. Owned by brothers Khaled and Naser Shamma, Valvela offers Turkish coffee — alongside other classic coffee-shop offerings like lattes, drip coffee, teas and pastries — a sense of community.
The 4,500-square-foot cafe is inviting; it’s filled with plush seating nooks, tables and other areas to lounge and enjoy traditional Turkish delights. Valvela Cafe opens early (7 a.m.) and closes late (1 a.m.), making it an ideal spot for the university area, where late-night study sessions are commonplace.
The brothers told CharlotteFive of their desire to expand Valvela Cafe. The duo plans to open more locations in the future, while staying true to their vision: authentic Turkish coffee in a community-driven environment.
Perhaps most importantly, both Anatolia Cafe and Cuisine and Valvela Cafe deliver on Turkish hospitality.
“ We love hospitality,” Tarhan said. “We love to welcome people.”
Anatolia Cafe and Cuisine
Location: 1520 Overland Park Ln, Suite 107, Charlotte, NC 28262
Cuisine: Turkish coffee, breakfast, Mediterranean
Instagram: @anatoliacafeandcuisine
Vavela Cafe
Location: 440 E McCullough Dr #210, Charlotte, NC 28262
Cuisine: Turkish coffee, breakfast, sandwiches
Instagram: @vavela_cafe
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
