Construction Cripples Sales at Yafa Golden Coffee in Noblesville

FISHERS/NOBLESVILLE, IN — For Abdullah Ali, owner of Yafa Golden Coffee USA, the first year of business has been less about brewing a perfect cup and more about navigating an endless gauntlet of orange cones and construction barriers. Located on Mundy Drive near the busy Fishers-Noblesville line, the coffee shop is facing severe financial strain due to prolonged roadwork that has blocked entrances, deterred customers, and slashed sales.

Yafa Golden Coffee, which specializes in Yemeni coffee and bakes all its pastries in-house, has been open for just over a year and four months at 14160 Mundy Drive. Abdullah says the business was hit with construction obstacles almost immediately.

“I don’t think we’ve had, you know when they say you got to have like a tough start to like go crazy?” Abdullah said. “I think just from the beginning we’ve been hitting, we’ve been getting hit by obstacles and obstacles and obstacles.”

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A Constant State of Closure
The issues began shortly after opening when the adjacent I-37 highway was reduced to one lane before being shut down entirely. The focus then shifted to Mundy Drive, the main thoroughfare for local traffic heading to surrounding businesses. The closure of Mundy Drive was an immediate blow. Abdullah recalled a distinct day when sales dropped off sharply:

“That day in the morning, like our numbers were doing well… And boom, as soon as they closed there… I’m talking 30 percent decrease just like that, like to snap a finger.” The constant construction barriers make the shop appear closed, even when it’s open. This issue has been compounded by recent work directly on the shop’s parking lot.

“When people drive by there, it generally looks like it’s closed. There’s so many barriers, those construction, orange and white barriers. So it looks closed,” Abdullah explained. He noted the sales decrease was so drastic, the staff was temporarily reduced from four to two employees.

Seeking Help, Facing Silence
Abdullah and his business partners have attempted to communicate with both their landlord and the City of Fishers for assistance, such as allowing large banners to announce that Yafa Golden Coffee is open for business.

“It was just kind of like going in circles, asking this person, that person, that person. And never reaching someone, but just kind of letting us know like, yeah, we’re really trying our best,” Abdullah said of his communication with officials.

While the city has offered standard apologies and promises that the completed project will help future business, Abdullah, who holds a degree in construction management, is skeptical of the timelines given: “Whatever date they give you, push it back five months because it’s not true.”

WIBC reached out to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for comment on the construction timeline and its impact on local businesses. INDOT directed the inquiry to the City of Fishers, as they are managing the local construction project. The City of Fishers was contacted twice for comment but did not provide a statement.

A Passionate Product Surviving on Community Love
Despite the struggles, Abdullah remains fiercely proud of the product and the space he and his team have created, calling the shop a “hidden gem.” Yafa Golden Coffee is the first coffee shop in Indiana to specialize in Yemeni coffee, utilizing beans imported directly from their own farm in Yemen.

“We roast our own coffee in the house… Our pastries, we make everything from scratch,” he said, emphasizing their wide-ranging appeal: “Our space is just an area where people of all ages come in.”

Ultimately, the small business has been sustained by local patrons who brave the traffic and barriers.

“We’re very thankful like to the Noblesville and Fisher’s community. They’ve been showing us a ton of support. But, you know, you can use a lot more support just considering how bad this construction has been for us.”

Abdullah and his team are planning a “big grand opening party” to give back to the community once construction is finally complete, whenever that may be. Until then, the shop owner asks customers to remember: “We want to create a home, a safe haven for everybody… a community.”