Illuminated by moonlight and lamplight, the tables at Brown Bee Coffee were strewn with specialty treats on Saturday. Some customers shared Ramadan Croissants — crescent-moon-shaped pastries stuffed with fresh dates, walnuts and vanilla pastry cream — while others sipped on matcha with date-flavored cold foam.
Many people observing Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year, spend 11 to 16 hours of their day fasting from pre-dawn to sunset. In celebration of the month, Brown Bee is offering a specialty late-night menu from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays until March 14.
According to Brown Bee owner Waleed Ghazi, who also observes Ramadan, a large proportion of the shop’s guests are Muslim. “It was our job, in order to bring the community together, to offer them something at night as well,” Ghazi said.
The community response to the late-night services has been unexpectedly “insane,” Ghazi said. “The line’s been down the street at 9 p.m. every time.”
Habiba Adeyemi, a Providence resident observing Ramadan, said that she decided to break her fast at Brown Bee after hearing about the Ramadan night service on social media.
“I feel like this brings us together as a community, especially as a Muslim, in this trying time,” Adeyemi said, adding that both the rice pudding and the rose date latte were “really, really good.”
Maysha Chowdhury ’29 said she visited the cafe specifically because of their Ramadan service.
“A lot of people usually go to coffee shops after Taraweeh,” said Chowdhury, referring to prayers typically performed at night during Ramadan. “We came here after Taraweeh to get some coffee, some croissants and just to have fun.”
Maryama Ali ’29, who came to the cafe with Chowdhury, added that a lot of places “are closed after the time that we typically eat,” during Ramadan, noting that “it’s a nice gesture” for Brown Bee to be open late.
Brown Bee’s added hours “really feel like community, especially when you’re far from home,” Ro’a Hammo ’29 said.
“This is kind of like my Suhoor, which is the meal that we have before fasting,” Hammo said.
Sara Muqudas, a student at Providence Country Day School who is also observing Ramadan, said this was her second week in a row coming to Brown Bee’s Ramadan night. “I enjoyed the vibes and the matcha a lot, so I came back,” she said.
Muqudas described coming to the cafe after prayer as “always such a reward.”
Ghazi said that people “of all faiths, different religions, different communities” have come to enjoy Brown Bee’s Ramadan nights, including many people who are not Muslim.
Alexandra Coia ’26 said that she came to Brown Bee’s Ramadan night because “it’s a unique thing for cafes, or just places that sell great pastries, to be open late.”
Harsh Thakkar, a RISD student, also does not observe Ramadan but said he was “here for the sweet treats.”
“It’s just been beautiful to see all different cultures and religions come together … to all have fun and enjoy Brown Bee,” Ghazi said.
During the first weekend of Ramadan service, the coffee shop was “overwhelmed by customers and trying to meet demand,” Ghazi said, but “it’s gotten smoother and smoother” with each night.
While the shop ran out of food items “pretty quickly” during the Ramadan service, Brown Bee was able to continue serving drinks the whole night, Ghazi said.
To manage crowds and keep sales running efficiently while maintaining a good customer experience, Brown Bee implemented two lines — one for dine-in and one for take-out — and gave dine-in customers a one-hour table time. “Having the one-hour turnaround times helped us accommodate everybody that did want to dine in at different parts of the night,” Ghazi said.
Hammo said she and her friends waited around 25 minutes to get inside, which she thought was “not that long.”
Looking forward, Ghazi said the Ramadan nights are “something that we want to make a part of who we are.” If possible, he hopes to host the special hours “even more often” next year.
“I would love to have this every Ramadan moving forward,” Adeyemi said.
Pavani Durbhakula is a senior staff writer and photographer. She is a first-year from DC and plans to study IAPA and Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and searching for new coffee shops.
