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About

Sunset over a coastal city with a church tower, palm trees, and buildings along the shoreline, with people on the beach and a pinkish sky.

Step into palestine

right here in chicago

Ahlan wa Sahlan fi Darna
(Welcome to our home)

أهلًا وسهلًا

About Us

Let me ask you something.

Have you ever walked into a coffee house and immediately felt at home?
Like your body relaxed before your mind even caught up?

That feeling of “Ah… this feels right.”

I feel at home

That’s what Darna is meant to be.

What Darna Is

Darna (دارنا) means “our home” in Arabic.

Darna is a Palestinian coffee house — first and foremost.
A warm, modern space built around great coffee, familiar flavors, and a feeling that’s hard to explain but easy to feel.

It’s the kind of coffee house where:

  • You don’t have to explain who you are

  • Your culture isn’t questioned or diluted

  • Words like Ramallah, Haifa, and Jerusalem feel familiar and personal

  • Saying maklouba or za’atar brings a smile, not confusion

It’s a place where coffee tastes like memory — and the space feels like home.

We Bring Palestine to You

We know you can’t always go back.

For some, it’s distance.
For others, politics, restrictions, or simply life.

So instead of waiting…

Read More
A volunteer wearing a red cap and a colorful T-shirt with the word 'VOLUNTEER' on the back, talking on a mobile phone at an outdoor event with people in the background.

Volunteers, Community & Creative contributors

Darna is more than a coffee house, it's a community. Our volunteers, ambassadors, artists, musicians, storytellers, and creative contributors help bring Darna to life by creating experiences, building connections, sharing culture, and making people feel at home. Their passion, talents, and generosity are what transform a space into a community.

Ways to get involved include: Event Volunteers, Social Media & Community Ambassadors, Musicians, Singers, Artists, Poets & Storytellers, Performers & Entertainers, Photographers & Videographers, Cultural & Creative Contributors, Chefs, Bakers & Food Artisans, and Students & Youth Volunteers.

If you'd like to get involved or simply want to contribute your talents, ideas, and passion, we'd love to hear from you.

Get Involved

Meet the Team

  • A woman with black hair and makeup, wearing a red and black top, accessorized with layered jewelry including large amber beads, metal bangles, rings, and a necklace, sitting indoors with a blurred background.

    Reem Banna

    General Manager

  • Mahmoud Darwish

    Community & Events Director

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with short, curly hair wearing a light-colored blouse.

    Mai Ziadeh

    Lead Barista

  • A man with dark hair and a serious expression wearing a black leather jacket, standing indoors near a window.

    Amr Diab

    Marketing & Social Media Manager

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling while sitting at a kitchen table, holding a decorative mug, with a newspaper and plant in the foreground.

    Mai Kakish

    Chief Creative Officer

  • Black and white photo of smiling man with short hair

    David (Abu Neda) Kakish

    Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer

Two young boys standing in front of a yellow vehicle, with one looking at the camera and the other looking down at a device in his hands, on a gravel surface.

from the founder

Darna started from something deeply personal.

I grew up in Ramallah, where home was something you felt and didn’t need to explain. In the rhythm of everyday life, the smell of coffee, and conversations that just flowed. Home wasn’t a place you described. It was something you lived.

As life pulled me elsewhere, I realized I was missing something in between home and work. A place where I could walk in, exhale, and just be myself. Where the smell of coffee, the sound of conversation, and the rhythm of the space feel instantly familiar. And where I don’t have to code switch or explain who I am. Where saying maklouba or za’atar isn’t a novelty, it’s just normal. It’s just who we are. Who I am.

That’s what I set out to build with Darna.

If you’d like to read the longer story behind it, and why home can feel both close and far at the same time, I’ve shared it in our Stories section.

Read The Founder’s Note →

— Abu Neda Kakish