At Alfred, one of our main goals is to provide our community of residents time back in their day, so they can focus on the things that matter most. By taking care of everything the resident needs, it frees up time to do the simple things like sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend, or even alone for a self-care moment.

This is where our newest addition to The Alfred Collective comes in, Allora Coffee and Bites. It’s the place to go in Norwalk, CT for an Italian inspired menu and relaxing environment to just enjoy the moment. We asked the owner, Kim a few questions to get to know the brand:

How long has Allora been in business? Tell us about everything from the inspiration behind choosing the name to creation of menu items.

Allora opened in January 2020, roughly 8 weeks before everything shut down. We chose the name Allora because of what it signifies. As a kid I always heard my dad use the word and as I studied abroad in Florence it quickly became part of my vocabulary too. We have interpreted Allora as “a pause within your day” so at Allora we want you to take a moment, pause, enjoy your coffee and company then move on to the rest of your day. I believe we emulate this really well. Our staff is invested in our customers and they have a nice relationship with each other. We have become invested in our customers’ lives and we truly enjoy that and enjoy being one of the smiling (under masks) faces they get to see every day. When coming up with our menu items we stick to a few main rules, house made whenever possible, fresh in season ingredients, and stay true to Italian flavors.

Why is the community so important to the brand?

We built Allora to be a gathering spot, whether for meeting up with a friend, business partner, a date or to just read a book. We always envisioned our customers spending time hanging around and relaxing in our space. Creating a space that feels welcoming and familiar allows our customers to feel like they belong to something bigger than just a coffee shop, they begin to feel part of the community and it starts to feel like home. One of the best compliments I have heard is how warm and comfortable people feel in our space.

Tell us what makes Allora so impactful to your community?

Allora is so impactful to the community because we truly are part of the Waypointe community. We love the support and camaraderie that comes from all the business in the building. Having the Waypointe allows us to be part of a smaller community within the larger Norwalk community. Being located here also allows us to get to know the residents on a more personal level. When building Allora we wanted to ensure we were giving our customers the feel of their neighborhood cafe with the ease of fast paced restaurant. We pay close attention to having consistent quality in each item while also having quick ticket times. Having an integrated online ordering system has been an integral part of our success. Online ordering became the sole way to serve our customers during Covid and the ability to continue to have a strong online ordering platform has really allowed our customers to order in a way that fits their needs! We’ve gotten very good at knowing who walks their dogs or has strollers and try our hardest to deliver their coffees outside to them to make it as easy as possible!

Why did you choose to plant roots in Connecticut?

I was born and raised in Danbury, CT and currently live in Stamford so Norwalk was an easy choice! Being close to family, the water and our friends made Norwalk the perfect spot to open Allora. We also love to see the potential Norwalk has, the city is really investing into the future and it is great to see people fall in love with this city.

Who is your customer?

Our customer is anyone and everyone! We pride ourselves in reaching everyone in the community. Picking coffee and food that a true coffee lover would love but so would my grandmother. We believe in staying true to our brand but also being accommodating to our customers and hearing what they are loving. At Allora we love to be innovative and try new items while continuing to deliver our customer favorites.

What excited you most about partnering with Alfred?

We are excited to partner with Alfred because we love what Alfred does for the residents. We love the idea of the services offered and we are happy to be part of it. Having Allora within an Alfred community allows residents to learn more about Allora and our brand and what we can offer to them!

What are the plans for the future?

Our plans for the future are to continue to grow our store and grow within the community. Since we’ve been open mostly during the pandemic people are still learning about us being here! We have also begun to bottle our most popular item, cold brew! Seeing it in the community is great and we love having people enjoy our coffee no matter where they are.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram for a behind the scenes look at Allora and the rest of our Alfred Collective brands.