⍚
About
a taste of 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…
Meet the Team
-
Reem Banna
General Manager
-
Mahmoud Darwish
Assistant Manager
-
Mai Ziadeh
Barista
-
Amr Diab
Barista
-
Mai Kakish
Chief Creative & Community Officer
-
David (Abu Neda) Kakish
Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer
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.
— Abu Neda Kakish