Qaaliis Café: Come for the coffee — stay for the culture

Omar Bareentto, Sikandar Khan and Huseyin Bayram knew they had a winning menu for a successful  café: coffee from Ethiopia, tea from Afghanistan and desserts from Turkey.

They knew they had the right location: Halsey Street has long been a cultural and commercial center of Newark, a spot where business leaders and students mix with a diverse residential neighborhood.

And they knew they had time to do it right: The three, all successful in business, were not dependent on the café to pay their bills.

That’s why Qaaliis Café is as much about a celebration of their cultures as it is about serving the bustling foot traffic in the area.

“We were just three friends who wanted to put our cultures together and show it off to the community, because that is what Newark is — a celebration of so many cultures,” Bareentto said. “We feel we exemplify that.”

The three partners, all first‑generation children of immigrants, brought their individual skills to Qaaliis: Bareentto (whose family is from Ethiopia) is a top lawyer at McCarter & English; Bayram (Turkey) is a restaurateur whose family owns Toros; Khan (Afghanistan) is a real estate professional at Alexandrite Capital.

But, more than that, they brought their heritage.

Qaaliis serves Ethiopian coffee (with its distinct flavor that is both strong and fruity), Afghan chai tea and specialty desserts from Turkey.

“We really took a lot of time to craft this menu,” Bareentto said. “When you’re trying to represent your culture, you want to be the best, because it is representative of you and your people.

“We took bits and pieces of our culture and made it into Qaaliis.”

The name reflects that intention, too.

“‘Qaaliis’ in Oromo means ‘high‑end’ and ‘precious,’” Bareentto said. “That’s what we want this place to feel like to the community.”

In a city filled with great food options, authenticity is essential.

“I don’t think people realize how many great options there are in Newark,” Bareentto said. “If you’re going to try to sell something with an ethnic flavor, you better be legit, or you’re going to be exposed.”

Qaaliis  café, which opened last fall, continues to impress.

Business has been steadily increasing, especially during the day, when local residents mix with students from New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University – Newark and business professionals from Broad Street.

The  café also is developing an evening following, especially during its rapidly growing poetry events.

Bareentto said the poetry nights are part of a deliberate effort to bring even more culture into the  café. They plan to expand that programming for the FIFA World Cup 2026, inviting people of all backgrounds to perform, including in their native language.

“When the World Cup comes to New Jersey, we want to use it to celebrate the cultures of Newark and the world, so we can highlight all the cultures that make New Jersey what it is,” he said.

Qaaliis  café is on its way to success — but that was never the primary goal, Bareentto said. This is a personal project.

“Qaaliis is who we are,” Bareentto said. “I’m Oromo. Sikandar is Afghan. Huseyin is Turkish. 

“Our families came here as immigrants, and New Jersey gave us opportunity. Qaaliis is a tribute to that, our way of saying, ‘This is where we’re from, and this is the community that raised us.’

“We feel we are representative of Newark and New Jersey as a whole. Like Newark, we are a melting pot of people. Qaaliis is not just one culture. It’s all these three different cultures on display.”

Bareentto recently spoke with BINJE about Qaaliis  café. Here is more of the conversation.

BINJE: What made Halsey Street the right home for Qaaliiscafé?

Omar Bareentto: Halsey is such a cool mix of people. On one side, you’ve got these major companies like Prudential and Audible. And, on the other, you have Rutgers and NJIT. Then you add the residents who’ve been here for years. 

We’re right in the middle of all of that, so our customer base is incredibly diverse — students, professionals and longtime Newark families. It’s exactly the kind of neighborhood where a multicultural café belongs.

BINJE: How have the first months gone since opening?

OB: Really well. Our busiest window is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — that’s when students are between classes and people from the office crowd come in for a second coffee or a dessert. Nights are picking up, too, especially the poetry events.

BINJE: Speaking of the poetry nights, why was it so important to build programming like that into acafé?

OB: Newark is an arts city. Musicians, poets, performers — this city has always had creative energy. We wanted Qaaliis to reflect that. Our Qaaliis Corner Poetry Jam on the first Saturday of every month has been huge. People pack the room.

BINJE: You and your partners each have full-time careers. How hands‑on are you with thecafé?

OB: We have a great general manager, Omar Khan, who handles the day-to-day. Each of us steps in based on our strengths: I handle anything involving the city of Newark, Huseyin is incredible with sourcing ingredients and Sikandar brings his real estate development expertise. We’re all invested, just in different ways.

BINJE: What’s next for Qaaliis?

OB: We have about 1,000 square feet that we’re renovating into an event space for private gatherings. And we’re expanding the menu. We’re going to add paninis and more light bites to complement the Turkish pastries, lentil soup, Afghan teas and Ethiopian coffee we already serve. The goal is to keep evolving while staying true to who we are.

BINJE: And the long-term vision?

OB: We want Qaaliis to be a staple in Newark. A place people talk about with pride. Success is great, of course, but the real goal is to be part of the renaissance happening in this city. 

Three cultures, one  café, one community: That’s Qaaliis.

For information about Qaaliis Café, call 973.901.9078