When you walk into the courtyard of the Arabian Village shopping center, the first thing you notice is the hum. It’s a warm wall of sound made up of clattering plates, a trickling fountain, and the playful clamoring of children mixed with laughter and conversing adults.

And then you notice the smell, hot tea steaming into the air, lamb and chicken fresh off the grill, pastries being bitten into and a potpourri of savory Middle Eastern spices underscoring it all.

Most nights, it’s hard to find a seat, inside or outside, at this vibrant hideaway. Nestled on a corner in Richardson between Greenville Avenue and Centennial Boulevard, the Arabian Village shopping center houses six Middle Eastern small businesses that stay open and busy well into the night.

Arwa Yemeni Coffee is at its nucl

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