Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
Norris Cafe, located in downtown Madison, has been operating in their location since January of 2015, but the name has been on the door for many years. The current owner, Chris Norris, grew up working in his parents' drug store and cafe, which was located at the same Range Ave. location. When his parents decided to give up the business in 2009, he decided to bring his family back from Jacksonville to his roots in Madison County.
Since opening the cafe, Norris has enjoyed a great deal of community support. Norris has every intention of carrying on during this time of difficulty stemming from the COVID-19 virus that has caught the attention of the world and has caused massive changes for everyone, especially those in the food service industry. In an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has instituted new guidelines for restaurants. Restaurants may no longer have in-house dining until further notice. For many restaurants, this has been a challenge, for others it has caused them to close their doors, at least temporarily. "We were fortunate in that we were already set up for carry-out service," said Norris. "For some restaurants, it has been difficult to switch over [to carry-out service]." The current situation has not been without difficulty for Norris. "We have had to cut back our hours of operation in order to keep everyone working. I think it has been crucial to be able to adapt to changing times, and the times are changing."
Norris added that his suppliers have been able to keep him well stocked, since many restaurants have cut back or have closed. He said if anyone needs staple items such as bread, they can call him.
Norris Cafe is open Monday-Friday, from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. and on Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for carry-out only. They still offer a full menu of breakfast items, sandwiches and salads, plus daily specials. They also offer a variety of gourmet coffee items from Blue Quail Coffee. You can call ahead at (850) 973-2552.