Monthly News
NoRa's Newsletter
January 2026
Loyalty Program Updates
We are rolling out some changes to NoRa's Loyalty program over the next few weeks.
Earning points
You will still earn 1 point for every $1 you spend at NoRa. In addition, you will now earn 1 point for every $1 you spend at Dog-Eared as well.
Redeeming points
To allow customers more options, we are changing our reward redemption. Rather than waiting until a certain threshold of points has been reached to redeem for a free drink, food item or book, customers can now redeem points on any order. For every 10 points you spend, you will reduce your total bill by $1. You will no longer be limited to a subset of items, you will be able to redeem points for nearly everything you purchase either at NoRa or at Dog-Eared.
Transition of the reward structure
We will be introducing the ability to spend points for discounts shortly. We will be transitioning away from the current reward items on February 1st.
Current points
All points already earned will remain in your account. Any purchases you make at NoRa or Dog-Eared will go into your existing account.
Community House at NoRa (2026 version)
We are re-introducing evening activities at NoRa on a weekly basis. We will be introducing these in phases. The initial phase will have four theme nights as described below. As we work out the details of having these events, we will look to add more as well as one-off special events. All events will be held in The Library from 5 pm to 8 pm unless otherwise specified.
Please note,the evening activities will be cancelled if The Library is rented out for an event or NoRa is hosting a special event. Please check NoRa's calendar here or on social media for schedule of events.
Community House Recurring Schedule
Updated 1/11/2026
Mondays - Open for meetup reservations
Reserve The Library on Mondays to hold your own meet-up. You may schedule for any community, school, organization or any similar group to use The Library for your meet-up. This not meant for parties or private events. You may not bring outside food or drink in for Monday meet-ups. If you are looking to host an event, you may rent the Library by following the steps outlined on our Library Rental page here. Reservations must be made through NoRa's online site at least one week in advance. The room can hold up to 35 people. While no cost to reserve The Library on Meetup Mondays, there will be a fee imposed if The Library is not cleaned and vacated by closing (8 pm) or if there is any damage or excess work needed to be done by the staff to restore The Library. Please note, any no-shows may be charged a $25 fee.
Tuesdays - Mahjong nights
Come by and grab a table in The Library to play a game of Mahjong with your friends. Tables are available on a first come, first served basis. Tables are available from 5 pm until close. We request games wrap-up around 7:30 pm to ensure that people are out by 8 pm. This is not a sponsored event by NoRa so no sign-up is needed.
Thursdays - Silent Book Club (first and third Thursdays) and Silent Writing Club (second and fourth Thursdays)
Thursdays, The Library is dedicated to reading and writing on alternate weeks.
Silent Book Club (the first and third Thursdays of the month)
- Come to The Library at 6 pm to grab a drink and find a spot in The Library. At 6:30 pm, we will close the doors and provide a quiet spot for our readers to enjoy an hour of uninterrupted time to enjoy a good book in the company of fellow strangers. At 7:30 pm, we will end the quiet reading time so that people have time to collect their things before the store closes at 8 pm.
Silent Writing Club (the second and fourth Thursdays of the month)
- Whether deep in the process of writing the great American novel or just looking for some dedicated time to work on a poem or draft some ideas, The Library is encouraging all writers to come on the second and fourth Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm for some dedicated quiet writing time. This is not a moderated group or workshop but rather a quiet space to work. If there is a desire to hold a Writers Workshop, please let us know and we can see about facilitating these groups periodically. The room will be closed to the main area during Silent Writing Club to reduce any noise or distractions.
Fridays - Family Nights
On Fridays, we will host a variety of family friendly events. Example include game nights, reading nights, bingo nights, movie nights and special kid-friendly events. Check the NoRa schedule on the website, in the store or on social media for the specific activity. If no special activity is listed, then the room will be reserved for families to hang out and enjoy one another with discounts on drinks for the family.
In the future, we will be adding additional events - both individual and recurring. If there is demand, may extend hours of the Community House events beyond the current 8 pm closing time.
Reminder: Community House recurring events will be cancelled on nights when The Library has been rented out. Please check NoRa's calendar to confirm events and activities.
New Kitchen Hours and Food Options
We are currently working with our kitchen team to extend the hours that food made-to-order will be available at NoRa. We are also looking at providing a different variety of food options for the afternoon and early evening beyond our current pastries and sandwiches.
We will be testing food options and once an initial menu has been confirmed, we will pilot extended hours with the new menu. We will share on our website and on social media the new hours and menu when we are ready to launch.
Pilot Membership Program transitioning to Community Cup Monthly Program
For the past couple of years, we have been "piloting" a membership program that provided discounts and free community cups of coffee for a monthly membership fee. This test was to discover the interest along with what levels of options we should have. We are transitioning this pilot program to a formal Community Cup Monthly Program. Due to constraints with our POS system, we are simplifying the Community Cup Monthly Program to be a program for free unlimited Community Cups of Coffee. The price will be $40 per month. Existing members of the Pilot Membership Program will receive a $5 discount for February 2026 if they choose to transfer their membership.
As a special offer for Community Cup Monthly Program members, you can purchase for 50% off a NoRa coffee mug and we will personalize it with your name so you can leave it at NoRa and use it whenever you visit.
NOTE: The current Pilot Membership Program will no longer be available after January 2026.
Price Updates and Pennies
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be rolling out two updates regarding prices.
First, while we have kept prices constant during 2025, all of our costs from the ingredients we use in our made-to-order items to the pastries from our vendors to the cups, lids and boxes for the to go items to the beans we use for our espressos and coffee have all gone up in price - some more than once. We held off as long as we could, absorbing the incremental increases through the year. While we had hoped ther would be an end to the tariffs and other factors raising our costs, we have decided to adjust prices on some of our items to defray some of these increases. We are doing what we can to minimize the costs that are being passed on in the hope that there will be minimal impact to you. These adjustments will go into effect during the early part of 2026.
Pennies
We're also changing how we handle change. With pennies no longer being minted, we have decided to stop using pennies in the store. While we do accept cash, we will be rounding all cash change to the nearest nickel in the customer's favor. Simply put, if you pay cash, any pennies that you owe us will be removed so that you are only paying up to the closest nickel. This change has already been implemented.
Respect For All - A Foundational Principle at NoRa
NoRa is built on the fundamental principles of community, inclusivity and respect. We are proud to be part of a vibrant, diverse and supportive community. Every day, we enjoy spending time with hundreds of people who feel more like friends and family then customers. Recently, we have had a few - granted very few - instances of people who have treated our staff or their fellow customers in an inappropriate manner. As a community establishment, we welcome all equally to enjoy themselves in a safe, warm and welcoming environment. We respect all of our customers, their opinions and beliefs and request the same from our customers. Please be aware that NoRa does not tolerate anyone who says or does anything that causes any member of our community - whether guest or staff - to feel uncomfortable or unsafe. As a communal location, many people come to NoRa for quiet and solace and we ask that you respect other customer's space while here. Our staff, while friendly, are hard at work even when interacting with you so please respect them and their time so that they may provide the same amazing experience to all of our customers.
We are truly thankful that you choose to come to NoRa and want to make sure that each person that walks into NoRa enjoys their time here to the fullest. Please feel free to share any thoughts on how we can improve your experience by sending us an e-mail to info@noracafenc.com.
