Have you ever been sitting in a coffee shop, sipping on your warm drink, and thought to yourself, “I would like to own a coffee shop”? Or maybe you’ve looked down at your latte, saw the pretty design, and thought - I would like to learn how to do that.
Well, that was how Hamzah Nasser got started on his coffee journey. Nasser has always had a passion for coffee. While he was visiting Yemen, his passion turned into a business. He visited several coffee shops in various cities, and each had its own unique blend of coffee and spices. He found it all fascinating and wanted to bring Yemeni coffee back home, so he bought 2 tons of coffee beans and began Haraz Coffee House in Dearborn.
The process of opening up a coffee shop was not easy, however, having never owned or worked in a coffee shop before. He had a lot to learn.
“My biggest challenge when I decided to open a coffee shop, was where I could find a coffee school,” says Nasser. After a little more than a year in operation, he decided to open his own, Haraz Barista Academy. They have long-form classes like how to open your own coffee shop where they will train you on how to do everything, plus help direct you on what equipment you need to buy. This was something Nasser struggled with when opening, saying he bought a $20,000 machine he never ended up using.
There are also short one-off classes where you can learn how to make the perfect cup of espresso, or how to do latte art. These classes are typically 2 hours in the evening, making them great for a date night, or a night out with friends.
For more information, and a taste of how the classes work, watch the video above.
Haraz Barista Academy is located at 15300 Rotunda Drive, Suite 304 in Dearborn.