Five years after opening on Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Tucker, Hesham Abdulla will close his popular Yemeni-Ethiopian coffee shop, Mokhaport, before December.
But rather than shut down the business completely, Abdulla told Rough Draft Atlanta he wants to focus on online sales.
“After much reflection, we have made the decision to scale back our operations and close our physical location in the months to come,” Abdulla wrote in a social media post. “This decision wasn’t easy, but it allows us to slow down, refocus our energy, and prepare for our next chapter … We aren’t gone just yet! We still have a few months left.”
Abdulla said he’s still brainstorming for the future of Mokhaport Coffee & Smoothie, but believes a more scalable model will help him get his organic, health-focused food and drinks to more people.
Yemen to Atlanta to GSU to Tucker
The Abdulla family immigrated from Yemen to Atlanta in 2008 when Abdulla was 14. He attended Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville, then Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs.
During a Georgia State University (GSU) internship, part of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Abdulla began consulting with coffee shops and local businesses at the International Trade Mall in Stone Mountain. He soon found himself focused on one particular coffee shop at the mall.
“The business was all God’s will, if that makes sense,” Abdulla said. “Everything is, but it was not planned for … I stumbled on it.”
Having earned his Bachelor’s Degree in 2020 – and as the coffee shop started to expand – Abdulla offered to buy into the business, operating under a different name, and entering into a 50/50 partnership.
The current address on Mountain Industrial Boulevard was supposed to be the coffee shop’s third location. By this time, however, Abdulla said the business partnership was strained.
“I decided to let go, reopen this in June 2021, and revamp the entire menu … change everything up,” he said. “We were more sugary, junk, just give the people what they want. [At Mokhaport,] I’ll give you what you want, but let me help you consume less garbage, especially sugar.”
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The Mokhaport mission
The name, Mokhaport, harkens back to one of Yemen’s ports near the strait connecting the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea on the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Abdulla’s goal with Mokhaport is to introduce people to the story of how coffee spread globally.
“I’m selling Yemeni and Ethiopian coffee … how do they connect?” Abdulla said. “It’s the origin of coffee beans … Based on my research, the Yemenis, who were Muslims and business people, went to Ethiopia, took the bean to Yemen, and started growing it there. From there, it spread from the Port of Mokha to the world because it was occupied by the British at the time.”
The British originally called high-quality Yemeni coffee “mocha.” Today, it’s a distinct cafe beverage with milk and chocolate.
Along with coffee, Mokhaport specializes in smoothies, as well as vegan and halal dishes and sweets, made mostly in-house with organic and wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour.
Abdulla said he learned to cook by observing family members and taking note of their different styles. His grandparents on both sides of the family are Yemeni-Ethiopian couples. Abdulla uses their cooking methods to recreate vegetarian, egg-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free dishes and desserts.
Some dishes and drinks are specific to one country, whether that’s traditional Ethiopian black coffee, or Yemeni honeycomb bread. Many of Mokhaport’s entrees, smoothies, and desserts, including the shop’s tres leches cake, are not specifically inspired by Abdulla’s family heritage, but rather his passion for healthier eating.
“I don’t consider our stuff to be uniquely Yemeni, nor uniquely Ethiopian,” Abdulla said. “It’s just a Yemeni guy creating stuff.”
Even after he transitions Mokhaport to an online business later this year, Abdulla said he has no plans to leave Georgia. His immediate family still lives in metro Atlanta, and his whole life is here.
“I don’t think I’ll go anywhere else,” Abdulla said. “I like Georgia. The weather is perfect, and [the] people are diverse, too. Everything is here.”
Mokhaport Coffee & Smoothie, 1861 Mountain Industrial Blvd, Tucker. Open Monday-Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closing before December 2026.
