Hesham Bakr’s love of coffee first awakened when he would walk his grandma to her favorite local roaster in Heliopolis, Egypt. The roastery happened to be right next door to a bakery, which made this weekly trip an unforgettable sensory experience. Hesham woke up every morning to the aroma of his grandma’s Turkish coffee. He would later try his first sip of espresso at 15 years old at a café when he lived in Duino, Italy. It was love at first sip! This affinity for coffee and passion for flavors manifested itself into Duino Coffeehouse.

Hesham and his wife Asil decided to pursue their dream of owning a mission driven small business that is hyper community focused. Driven by their shared passion for hospitality, the Bakrs opened their first location in McKinney, in February 2019. The mission is simply to create a hub for the community to meet, engage, celebrate and relate over craft coffee, specialty teas and indulgent foods.

Hesham and Asil live with their 3 kids and 2 cats in Frisco, TX. They are both hands-on leaders who enjoy being involved in every detail. They are constantly searching and testing unique new drink recipes and fresh food ideas. Even their three kids, Jenna, Taline and Zain are involved in some aspects of running the coffeehouse. In fact, they usually introduce themselves with pride as “ . . . the future owners of Duino!”