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Cafe Culture in Kabul Shows How Afghanistan Is Transforming
In a tea-drinking culture, coffee and cupcakes are signs of social change
The two-story Cupcake Coffee Shop has no shortage of customers, here for an array of cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and specialty coffee drinks. Yet the shop, with its open coffee bar and wood-paneled walls, isn’t in Chicago or Manchester, or anywhere else in the Western world: It’s nestled in the heart of Kabul, the war-torn capital of Afghanistan.
Co-owner and manager Mohammad Hussain Gulzara, 23, says he noticed that other Kabul cafes were always crowded and provided a limited menu, so he opened this one over a year ago.
“Things are changing. Places like this is such a good opportunity for us to not just meet friends but also network with new like-minded people,” he said.
Afghanistan has experienced conflict for decades. In between terrorism and the front lines, life goes on, and with it, signs of a new normalcy that includes cafes that have cropped up around Kabul.
Gulzara wasn’t the only one who noticed the need for new eateries. Fueled by local investments and a growing population of young people — 63 percent of the country is under 25 years old — the restaurant industry of Afghanistan is transforming.
