If a coffee shop could be a soul made manifest, Brown Bee Coffee would be it – the cafe is an amalgamation of owner Waleed Ghazi’s experiences, passions, and culture, and each detail in the thoughtfully designed space contributes to an inviting and warm environment where people are tempted to linger.
Brown Bee Coffee opened in September 2024, but it’s an idea that was in the hive for more than a year before serving that first pain au chocolat. “I wanted to give the Providence community a special type of cafe culture that they haven’t experienced before,” says Ghazi. “I’m trying to bring back the best type of customer service and create a unique ambiance that encourages socializing. People line up outside to get in.” To ensure as many guests as possible are able to spend time in the cafe, customers are asked to limit their visit to 90 minutes. Brown Bee is not the place for remote-work warriors to plug in and plug away for eight hours, but rather a social experience – one of those rare spots where people can tuck their screens away and spend time with friends.
Ghazi’s background is in construction, design, and remodeling, but he always had a passion for the food industry. An avid traveler, he drew inspiration from all over the world, particularly Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, when designing his cafe. Even the furniture was custom made to contribute to the atmosphere Ghazi envisioned.
“I worked with a company in Indonesia to design super comfortable furniture made with teak wood and real rattan,” he explains. This is just one of the disparate details that somehow melded together beautifully under Ghazi’s expert eye. “If I were to give you a tour, I’d point to one wall and tell you it’s Asian inspired,” he says. “The arches are Mediterranean inspired, and our counter was built to look like an old card catalog that you’d find in a library. That was a nod to the Providence Athenaeum on Benefit Street.”
Brown Bee’s menu is as eclectic as its design. The cafe specializes in croissants and artisan bread, baked in house under the leadership of pastry chef Alisia Custodio. She honed her croissant-making skills during an internship in the south of France, and brought her education back to Providence, where she got to work creating a variety of classic croissants with innovative twists at Brown Bee. Favorites like the Ginger Miso Croissant, filled with miso caramel and ginger lemon curd, and the Pistachio Crunch, featuring the irresistible nut in both candied and cream form, share the menu with seasonally inspired treats like the Cranberry Pistachio cookie. In January, the cafe opened a full kitchen with a sandwich-forward menu designed to showcase Custodio’s bread.
Although Brown Bee was designed to be an experience, Ghazi also hopes it will be part of the Providence community’s routine – a perfect spot to stop in and grab an expertly brewed cup of coffee to go. The cafe has a full coffee and tea menu, with matcha sourced from Japan, and the cold brew is made in house. The cafe’s signature drink is the Brown Bee, which is a cold brew blended with milk, carob, honeycomb, and cardamom.
With its eclectic and globally inspired menu and design, Brown Bee Coffee isn’t just a cafe – it’s a destination where community, culture, and craft come together to create an experience as unique as the city it calls home.
404 Benefit Street
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