Literature student mixes love of books and coffee in new venture By opening the first educational café in the small town of Hail, a university student in his early 20s has fulfilled his dream of spreading the love of books and promoting reading in his society. The small coffee shop is the perfect place to read a new book, discuss favorite authors and their works, browse through the local newspapers, and sip delicious coffee. It provides a worthy alternative for young men who could now do more than just chat, smoke, and idly pass their time. Hisham Saud Al-Hasan is the young Saudi bookworm behind this venture. An English literature major at the University of Hail, Al-Hasan has turned into a businessman and coffee maestro. “I bought my first book from my own pocket money when I was in the seventh grade. And ever since, I have saved up every riyal of my daily allowance to buy books. Over the years I have collected more than 1,200 books from a wide range of topics and interests and I wanted to share these books with other members of my community,” Al-Hasan told Al-Watan Arabic daily. Just a few days ago, Al-Hasan opened his small café, which has a modest surface area of 40 square meters, on Fahd Al-Araifi Road. On opening day, he happily greeted his first customers and personally made coffee and tea, which he also served himself. Lined with a rich supply of books, the walls of the cafe is adorned with images of famous scientists and inventors. Inside, a no-smoking rule is enforced. The many obstacles he encountered in the initial phases of his small business only strengthened his resolve to realize his dream of opening a coffee shop that would also serve as a mini-library and an alternative to shisha cafés. Each investment bank that Al-Hasan applied to for loans and financial support turned him down. The elderly businessmen in his community advised him to just open a regular, more hip coffee shop because they believed that would attract more customers, while others scoffed and skeptically asked, “Who reads books these days?” But Al-Hasan remained steadfast in his plans to introduce a comfortable haven for book and coffee lovers in his community. “After my idea was rejected by investors and big businessmen, I convinced my mother to give me the inheritance money that my father had left me that she had been keeping for my future. “Immediately after I obtained her approval, I studied the project, traveled to Riyadh and Dammam to visit the educational cafés that had already flourished there and to learn from their experiences. With a humble starting amount of SR60,000 I rented the shop, decorated it, bought state-of-the-art coffee machines and supplies, and attended an intensive course that teaches the skill and art of making and serving great coffee,” added Al-Hasan. Al-Hasan has succeeded not only in encouraging reading among the young generation but also in breaking the stereotype that it is inappropriate for Saudi men to serve coffee.
