Coffee has been central to Arabian hospitality since the 1400s. Traditionally, the rituals around coffee were private, part of home visits and family gatherings. Stanza brings that tradition into a public space, inviting customers to experience it in a contemporary setting without losing what makes it meaningful.

Early conversations with Nasser kept circling back to poetry. The literary tradition runs deep in Arabic culture, and it felt like the right thread to pull. “Stanza” came out of that exploration. It's a unit of poetry that works across languages, and it literally means “a place to stand.” For a café inside a bookstore, it fit.

The visual identity needed to feel contemporary but culturally grounded. The wordmark pairs Hoefler’s Gotham Medium with Falak, an Arabic typeface inspired by astronomy and natural science. Gotham brings familiarity and clarity; Falak brings graceful curves and a sense of history. Together they bridge the two languages without forcing either one to carry all the weight.

The palette draws from Qatar’s maritime heritage — deep blues and teals — alongside warm golds that nod to the line “coffee is our gold” from a 1511 poem called “In Praise of Coffee.” That line adorns the to-go cups.

The geometric patterns running through the brand are inspired by the Dome of the Rock. That tradition of mathematical precision and intricate artistry has defined Islamic visual culture for centuries. We adapted it into something that works on a coffee cup without losing its depth.