The colourful and welcoming Yeha Noha cafe at Norwood Junction
Our loyal reader might be surprised to learn that there is, indeed, more than one new coffee shop in Croydon, and on a rare staff outing from Inside Croydon Towers, we were delighted to discover Yeha Noha, on Station Road at Norwood Junction.
This colourful cafe surprised us even further, since they have opened as a business without any subsidies from local authorities, council contracts or any helping hands from the likes of Jon Rouse or his favoured PR agencies.
Ilir Dreskhaj has been looking at opening an upmarket café in South Norwood ever since he moved to the area nine years ago.
Dreskhaj, who operates the café with his wife, says that he sees South Norwood as a place of “great potential”.
The business has benefited from the opening of the East London Line
Before the troubles in the financial sector bit, the locality saw a good deal of speculative investment in housing ahead of the now completed East London Line which runs through the junction and on to the fashionable areas north of the river, such as Spitalfields. But there’s no need to unload your Oyster card to travel to east London once inside Yeha Noha.
With more staffing on the station since the London Overground was opened, with a good quality and consistently open station exit to the south of the railway line, things are on the up in South Norwood.
The café is colourfully and brightly decorated with some separate discreet spaces tucked away. Dreskhaj says that South Norwood “needed a place like Yeha Noha with a concept of something for everyone where they can relax whether it’s as a place to meet or to have a party”.
Features include
• Homemade desserts, made daily using where possible with organic/fair trade ingredients
• Non-alcoholic cocktails and healthy drinks
• A wide range of courses including Meditation and Yoga to de-stress
• Music provides a soothing atmosphere and child friendly environment
• A private function space available for hire
• Free Wi-Fi
The café’s nomenclature comes from a Native American song wishing happiness and prosperity.
Dreskhaj hopes some additional prosperity and extra jobs will come if he can secure a licence to serve alcohol.
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Yeha Noha’s terrific, I’ve been there a couple of times. A great welcome and really nice food.