A method of processing a coal feed to produce aromatic hydrocarbon compounds includes providing a coal tar stream and converting the coal tar stream to a conversion product comprising at least olefins, paraffins, and aromatics. The process further includes separating the olefins and C5− paraffins from the conversion product, and contacting the separated olefins and the C5− paraffins with a catalyst to dehydrogenize, oligomerize, and cyclize the olefins and the C5− paraffins, to form aromatic hydrocarbon compounds.