A high statue of Ramesses II welcomes guests to the hotel Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, Egypt. The 3,200-year-old block of granite is over 36 feet high and dates back to the Up-to-date Kingdom, when Ramesses II ruled what was then the most powerful empire in Earth’s history. The monument is a fitting showcase for a collection of over 100,000 artifacts housed in the world’s largest purpose-built museum. After over 20 years of construction, the grand opening of GEM took place on November 4, 2025.
Visitors to GEM will discover not only historic obelisks or the golden sarcophagi of Tutankhamun. They will also find here a monument to Egypt’s burgeoning coffee scene: an ambitious café created by coffee specialty pioneers from Cairo 30 North.
When Sprudge visits the 30 North GEM location, founder and CEO Amr El-Khazindar is on hand to greet guests and direct traffic. GEM, visited by more than 15,000 people every day, attracts crowds more often associated with theme parks and concert festivals than with archeology. A significant number of these guests are looking for a caffeine boost to assist them navigate the million-square-foot facility.
Sprudge struck up a conversation with El-Khazindar while we were waiting for our Natural Ethiopia transfer.
“I have lived all over the world, but for me nothing beats Cairo,” says El-Khazindar. “Named after Cairo’s geographic coordinates on a map, 30 North pays tribute to this great city.”
Although GEM is located in Giza, an historic city in its own right, the two sprawling cities have merged to create an urban area of over 20 million people. When El-Khazindar started the roastery/retailer in 2017, there were very few brands operating in this huge market.
“30 NORTH introduced specialty coffee to Egyptian coffee drinkers. We focused on specialty coffee and the adventurous taste of the Egyptian consumer. Slowly but surely, they started ordering V60 and increasingly chose the coffee from which their flat whites are made,” he says. “The market will continue to grow as coffee culture becomes embedded in our DNA and consumers increasingly spend money on affordable luxury coffee.”
Although specialty coffee has emerged relatively recently, Egypt boasts one of the oldest coffee cultures in the world. As historian Ralph S. Hattox notes in his book, pilgrims returning from Mecca first brought coffee to Cairo in the early 16th century. From Cairo, the drink quickly spread throughout the Islamic world.
However, today’s coffee drinker in Cairo is looking for a more contemporary experience. “Historically, it was Turkish coffee,” says El-Khazindar. “But today it has evolved. For younger generations, it’s iced Spanish lattes, branding and Instagram moments.”
“Spanish latte” is a variation of cafe con leche popular in the Gulf Coast countries. Many Egyptian baristas are moving to places like Dubai and brands like Kuwait to work CAF expansion into Egypt, it’s no wonder that this syrupy-sweet drink entered Cairo’s coffee scene.
But El-Khazindar sees growing interest in specialty coffee without additives.
“I continue to be amazed by the number of sign-ups we receive every time we announce cup of coffee sessions,” he says.
30 North’s GEM location is arguably the most ambitious of the brand’s 11 cafes across Cairo. The expanded bar has two three-group rooms Victoria Arduino Black Eagle espresso machines, three different espresso options and a wide selection of manual brewing methods. Although most of 30 North’s Cafes are located in residential areas that cater to Cairo’s middle class, 30 North’s GEM Cafe is poised to introduce the brand to an international clientele.
“Of course, our store at the Grand Egyptian Museum holds a special place in my heart. We are proud to showcase local specialty coffee roasters to the world, highlighting local coffee roasting expertise through our museum branch,” says El-Khazindar.
Judging by the six different languages Sprudge hears in the coffee shop, he’s already done it.
After all, this is probably the only cafe where you can drink a cup of specialty coffee while admiring one of the seven wonders of the historic world. Architects Róisín Heneghan and Shih-Fu Peng designed the museum to offer panoramic views of the Pyramids of Giza, which are perceptible from the patio of 30 North.
“Every time I drink coffee in front of the grand staircase, I get goosebumps,” says El-Khazindar.
