What is Norma's?

    Norma’s, named after my grandmother, will be a neighborhood coffee shop/bakery located on the corner of Forest Ave and Catalpa Ave in Ridgewood Queens. We will serve scratch baked goods, espresso drinks, locally roasted fair trade drip coffee, loose-leaf teas and homemade lemonades. The pastries will be traditional and vegan American home-style: Drop cookies, individual pies, muffins, biscuits, savory turnovers, scones and bars. The decor will be homey, warm and inviting. The gated side of the building will provide parking for bikes and there will be tables inside and two   benches in the front for patrons to sit.

     There will be a strong focus on natural, local food and environmentally friendly business practices. Norma’s will also be a light-hearted fun shop that never forgets that milk and cookies are meant to make you smile.

 What will we do with the money?

     With your help we will be able to purchase a used 20qt Hobart mixer and used electric convection oven that will allow us to bake our delicious pastries fresh every morning and throughout the day. As passionate professional bakers this is really the heart and soul of our business. $2,500.00 is the bare minimum of what we need to bake on premise. Anything we raise above that amount will go into buying even better equipment that will allow us to fill our shop with the intoxicating smell of freshly baked gooey cookies.

     Our budget is extremely tight and every dollar you contribute will help make Norma's an even better oasis.

Examples of menu items:

Lemon Cranberry cookies, chocolate almond stuffed macaroons, madeleines, home made English muffins, fresh jams, whoopie pies, vegan granola bars, vegan cupcakes, ham and cheese turn overs and individual pies.

How will we make it happen

     We have already begun. Once construction is complete and the health department has given us the thumbs up, we will have a soft opening (hopefully in early July). During this time we will have a smaller staff and a full menu of locally roasted drip coffee and espresso drinks, and a limited menu of traditional and vegan baked goods. After a month we will have a clearer picture of our staffing and menu needs and be ready to launch full speed.