“We noticed that the community wanted a cafe and no one was taking the initiative, so we did.” said Khalid Awwad about his new family-owned StimuLatte Cafe.
3.2 miles from the Student Center, about a nine minute drive or 35 minute bus ride, is the new cafe. Located at 1816 Whittaker Road, they opened on Feb 22, 2025.
StimuLatte Cafe came from Khalid’s father, Ziad Awwad. There was no specific reasoning name for the shop's name, just that they wanted one that was exciting and uplifting. Khalid said that the dopamine molecule in their logo was his inner science nerd coming out on the stimulation part of the name.
Opening a cafe was the dream of Ziad Awwad, and Khalid helped make his dream come true when they started planning StimuLatte. In three months, they turned this dream into a reality.
Kahlid Awwad said that he has lived in Ypsilanti his whole life and initially wanted to take the coffee shop out of state. Until he heard the community’s desire for a cafe-style coffee shop and decided home was the perfect place.
He said that the backing of a community is what they were looking for when trying to find a location. So far, he has found that community backing in Ypsilanti. He said he has received positive feedback in person and through the Nextdoor app.
To help build and engage the community, they are open all days of the week. Monday through Saturday, they are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Sundays, they are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Khalid Awwad said, “We really want this to be a social spot.”
While they currently are not hosting events themselves, Kahlid Awwad said that they are happy to let anyone use their space for whatever they want. He said people can contact them at info@stimulatteyourday.com or on Instagram at @stimulattecafe to plan a time to reserve the space. They also welcome walk-ins to use the space.
Khalid Awwad said, “Anyone who wants to do a group study night is welcome to come in and work together in this space. You can move the tables, be as loud as you want, make the space your own.”
They are even open to taking song and genre requests during day-to-day operations. Khalid Awwad said they usually play piano or pop music, but will play anything upon request.
For students and teachers, they offer 5% off on all items when ID is shown at the counter. For first responders, healthcare professionals, and military personnel/veterans, they offer 10% off all items.
Currently, they offer online ordering as well as their in-store ordering. They take a more community-based approach as opposed to the quicker, more streamlined approach of many chain restaurants and coffee shops. They like to take the time to talk to their customers and make their drinks and food from scratch.
Sandwiches are their speciality, with a variety of cheese, meat, vegetable, and bread options. All their syrups are imported from Europe and made with cane sugar.
Prices range from $1 to $10. Baked goods, on-the-go snacks and non-coffee beverages are also available. For their full menu, check out their website stimulatteyourday.com.
Looking to the future, StimuLatte Cafe has lots of aspirations. They are looking to add Doordash and Uber Eats to their ordering options.
For the spring and summer, they are adding patio seating and expanding their menu. The shop wants to add refreshers, but they're are trying to find their own recipe that does not copy a chain but is uniquely their own.
While they get settled, they are sticking to mostly family for staffing. However, they are soon going to start expanding their staff.
Khalid Awwad said once they are confident and settled, they will look to open a second location closeby. He said they are eyeing Ann Arbor, but are open to a different small town.
For now, StimuLatte Cafe looks to bring people together in their shop by fostering a fun, welcoming environment.
