Smelly Cat is back! After 2 years, the NoDa coffee shop will reopen indoors
716 days.
23+ months.
2 years.
That’s how long you’ve been without the cozy interior of NoDa’s Smelly Cat Coffee, sipping lattes from apricot-colored mugs while snacking on zucchini bread and feeling the buzz of the Charlotte neighborhood.
And now, after two years (to the month), you won’t have to wait much longer.
After closing at the onset of the coronavirus, Smelly Cat Coffee House & Roastery is reopening its indoor space on March 1. The neighborhood haunt is celebrating with new extended hours and a slew of coffee cocktails, along with new charcuterie boards.
AND, you’ll now be able to reserve a table in advance. This is music to our ears — if you frequented the Arts District hangout before COVID-19 began, you know that snagging a table is no easy feat.
A few tweaks to note: The indoor space will be converted from counter service to full service (you’ll have a server). All takeaway orders will continue to be handled through the walk-up window — so if you want coffee to go, please stay outside. This will assist the coffee shop in its efforts to limit capacity.
“I am most looking forward to people reclaiming their neighborhood coffee house,” owner Cathy Tuman told CharlotteFive on Friday. “They’ve missed being inside their coffee house. I’m looking forward to them finding their place again.”
Here’s what you have to look forward to beginning March 1:
Extended hours:
- Monday-Tuesday: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Wednesday-Thursday: 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Friday-Saturday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Sunday: 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Note: The indoor space is intended for people who are staying for a while, and it will now be table service only. If you plan to grab and go, please continue to use the walk-up windows along the left side of the building (photos in the gallery above will illustrate).
Table reservations
Smelly Cat is a small coffee shop with a lot of regulars — and before the pandemic began, getting a table could be tricky. The new reservation system (via Open Table) avoids any uncertainty. Place your 90 minute reservation online — even days before your coffee date!
For the walk-up windows, you can continue to place your order in advance using the Odeko app.
New coffee cocktails + charcuterie
In addition to Smelly’s coffee and espresso drinks you already know and love, you can now order:
- Coffee cocktails
- Chai cocktails
- Salted caramel cocktail
- Beer and wine
Rotating drink specials will be offered each day.
Charcuterie platters will also be on the menu — perfect with an espresso martini or dry red on a Friday evening.
Smelly Cat Coffee House & Roastery
Location: 514 E 36th St, Charlotte, NC 28205
Neighborhood: NoDa
Instagram: @smellycatcoffee
CharlotteFive’s Alex Cason contributed reporting.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 12:51 PM.
