What Does "NoKa" Mean?

So…where does the name NoKa come from? I’m sitting at home this Saturday morning, drinking some NoKa Joe’s coffee. (Did you know that we sell our beans, so you can brew our delicious—if I do say so myself—fair trade, organic coffee at home?) And I’m remembering the beginnings of NoKa.

I began my life as a shopkeeper in Katonah in 2001 (after 18 years on Wall Street.) I’d always wanted to be a florist, so I bought the existing flower shop in town, the Enchanted Florist – located where I still am today. This is a two-story store, so upstairs were plants, pots and all the sundries of a florist businesses. It was kind of a stepchild space to the main business of flowers downstairs.

That wasn’t working for me. So I decided to make the second floor it’s own destination – and I love the gift business. But not any gifts. Not ‘beautiful’ gifts. Not Hallmark gifts. I went to the NY gift show and found my voice. I love funny gifts. Irreverent gifts. Gifts that make you think and then perhaps laugh. Gifts with great style. I love COLOR! And I hate gifts that cost a lot of money. That’s how I found my style. Now for a name….

It needed to be clever. It needed to be local—because the great energy of Katonah fuels my store. It needed to be memorable, and show that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Like my store. So I decided on NoKa. It stands for North Katonah – a play on SoHo. And it’s made me smile ever since.

I would like YOU to smile, too. So please visit us this holiday season. And remember to shop small stores!

Tomorrow I’ll finish the story of our beginnings…with “Hey, NoKa Jen: How did you meet up with NoKa Joe?”