More than tea: Afghan teahouse Kabul Corner opens in Bloomington

A waft of cardamom and hibiscus slips out the open door as customers walk into Kabul Corner on Wednesday morning.  

Nargis Orokzai, the shop’s owner, prepares kettles of tea as she finishes restocking a glass display with freshly baked pastries. 

Kabul Corner is a women-owned Afghan teahouse located at 305 E. Third St. that opened in December 2025. The location was previously home to NexGen Nails, a nail salon. 

Orokzai said she was working alongside her husband, Farid, next door at his business, Turkuaz Café, when she decided to open Kabul Corner, which is inspired by the nostalgia of her hometown Kabul, Afghanistan. 

“We tried a lot of cafes in town, but I think we have only one tea spot,” she said. “But other than that, we didn't find, like, a good place for just tea, because we are coming from a background that tea is, like, very important.” 

When brainstorming ideas for the shop’s name, Orokzai said she recalled her friend who opened a French café in Kabul. She said her friend wanted customers to feel like they were traveling in France when stepping into the business. 

“Here we have a community of Afghans as well, so this name can connect all of them together,” she said. 

Kabul Corner brews tea from Afghan-owned brands, Orokzai said. The shop also sells dried fruits, nuts and ornate rugs made in Afghanistan. She said the handwoven rugs, available in a range of different sizes, are especially popular with students, who buy them as affordable gifts and room decorations. 

Orokzai said she felt like customers should know the business is women-owned.  

Right now, Orokzai is the only employee. She said she hopes to hire more employees in the future, but expenses limit her from doing so. 

Orokzai finished her undergraduate education in Kabul and was applying for a master’s degree through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.  

The Taliban is a political and religious militant group that emerged after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that started in December 1979 and lasted almost a decade. The group established an authoritarian regime in the country until 2001, when U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 

In 2021, U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan during the Biden administration. The Taliban has since reinstituted bans on women pursuing secondary and higher education. 

Orokzai arrived in the U.S. through the IU Refugee Task Force, which helps displaced international students enroll at the university. In 2024, Orokzai graduated with a master’s of public affairs from IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. 

“I appreciate when women enter different kind of ... an institution, a businesses,” she said. “They also own something.” 

Orokzai said she modifies Afghan recipes and experiments with international cuisines to attract people from other backgrounds. The shop sells a serving-size version of roht, an Afghan sweet bread, which Orokzai said is typically baked in a larger loaf. 

One popular drink item is the Lavender and Hibiscus Matcha, which adds a twist to the tea traditionally found in Chinese and Japanese culture. 

“Nargis told me about the matcha, but usually I come and order cardamom tea. I really recommend it,” customer Omar Mohd said. 

Mohd said he is a regular at Turkuaz Café, but he found Kabul Corner on Google Maps and decided to give it a try. 

Opening Kabul Corner was mostly a smooth process, Orokzai said. However, what she found most challenging about building the business was finding an affordable contractor to design the café’s interior. 

When the tea shop finally opened in December, Orokzai said business was originally slow due to an absence of students and locals during the holiday season. But when the new year started, she began seeing customers from Turkuaz Café who were referred by her husband. 

Earl Luetzelschwab, a Bloomington local, was one of those customers. He said he has visited the shop twice already, where he spends about an hour reading and finishing a pot of tea. 

“It’s hard to find shops. Most places have coffee, and tea is a minor addition,” Luetzelschwab said. 

He said he would like to see black tea as a future menu item. 

Orokzai said she plans to expand the menu. Since traditional pastries have more complex recipes, she said she will consult her Afghan friends to help her. Kabul Corner is in the process of partnering with DoorDash, and the shop is considering launching a website. The shop also runs an Instagram account. 

 Orokzai said she will continue gauging customer preferences, but the community has been receptive toward the business. 

“People from community, they are coming and they're supporting,” she said. “And that means a lot.”