Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
"We want to have a conventional coffee shop from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to serve drinks and pastries to the local community," Shrestha said. "In the later afternoon into the evening, we will transform into a social space and host activities such as painting, writing and poetry nights to bring people together and connect with the creative fields."
The café, which has a no-laptop policy, focuses on espresso-based drinks and matcha. They've also partnered with a few local bakeries to sell fresh croissants and baklava. In the near future, Shrestha plans to add specialty items like Turkish chai, Turkish coffee and Masala chai.
During a visit to No Nazar last week, Shrestha shared more about the space between Avenue A and First Avenue.
No Nazar Café is inspired by the word nazar, which means sight, surveillance and attention, and is often symbolized by the evil eye.
The legend of the evil eye is a widespread superstition, rooted in ancient traditions, that a malevolent gaze can bring bad luck or harm to the recipient. No Nazar Café signifies the warding off of bad luck and energy, focusing on good energy only.
What drew you to the East Village?
The East Village is one of the most inspiring communities I have come across. When I thought about opening a café, I wanted to showcase the community it exists in with a focus on local artists and fostering creativity.
This creative drive led me to leave the corporate world and open this cafe, and that sentiment fuels our mission.
One of our baristas lives a few paces up East 10th Street, and the rest of our staff frequent the area but live further north in Manhattan.
You can follow No Nazar Café on Instagram for updates on programming.
I love this concept of coffee and creativity in the evenings. It will help bring our community together. I wish them the very best of luck and will definitely have to stop by.
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