During its nearly 75-year legacy, NORMS Restaurants has never sold beer and wine on-premise at any of its establishments. Today, the beloved Southern California restaurant chain is preparing for a beer and wine program (at select venues) later this year, and it also just collaborated with Los Angeles-area Common Space Brewery for a special edition beer – aptly named NORMS IPA.
Since opening in 1949, NORMS has focused on casual family dining by delivering “great food, great service, and great value." The chain is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night dining, and its 20+ locations are known for their iconic design, friendly service, and quality meals at affordable prices.
“NORMS does not sell alcohol on-premise at the moment, as we are currently awaiting our beer and wine license,” shared David Cox, NORMS’ corporate executive chef and vice president of food and beverage. “Once we have the license, which we are slated to receive this November, we will roll out a beer and wine program at our soon-to-open location in Hollywood as well as our existing locations in Rialto, Ontario Mills, and Lakewood.”
Cox said the NORMS team is still determining what their wine and beer beverage menu will look like, but customers can expect to see a Common Space Brewery beer on the list.
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‘We’ve Been Eager to Dip our Toes into the World of Beer’
In addition to exploring on-premise alcohol sales, NORMS stepped into the retail beverage space with NORMS IPA, a unique collaboration with another food and beverage industry leader – Common Space Brewery.
The two SoCal favorites teamed up for a limited-edition IPA at the end of summer to create a special pale malt. Common Space Headbrewer Andy Link worked with Cox and brewed up a dynamic duo of Mosaic (25 percent) and Citra (75 percent) hops. The result is a vibrant, aromatic beer with notes of mango, clementine, and calamansi. The 30-barrel batch (less than 900 gallons) was brewed and produced in Common Space’s brewery in Hawthorne, Calif., located just a few miles from multiple NORMS locations.
The four-pack cans of the NORMS IPA were made available at Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and Lazy Acres across Los Angeles and North Orange Counties in California. Additionally, NORMS IPA was made available on tap and by the four-pack at Common Space Brewery.
“As we await the debut of our first-ever beverage program at select restaurants, we’ve been eager to dip our toes into the world of beer and collaborate with a brewery,” said Cox. “Common Space Brewery felt like the perfect fit for us as we’re fans of their product, they regularly work on collaborations with SoCal brands, and are already considered a staple in/around Los Angeles after opening just a few years ago.”
Common Space, founded in 2018, is an award-winning craft brewery, taproom, and event space that’s committed to creating innovative and inclusive brews that help find a “common space” among its patrons.
Cox said the collaboration with another beloved brand, Common Space Brewery, gives NORMS the opportunity to reach new audiences and dive into an exciting, unchartered territory for the chain.
“It also gives NORMS fans and newcomers alike a taste – or a sip – of what our new beverage program will offer this fall/winter,” added Cox.
To learn more about NORMS, visit NORMS.com. To learn more about Common Space Brewery, visit CommonSpace.la.
Aaron Kiel is an editor, writer and public relations professional in Raleigh, N.C. He’s worked in the beverage, tea and coffee industries for two decades, as well as hospitality and technology. He’s a journalist at heart, but he also wears a PR and communications hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group. He’s a contributing writer/reporter for Questex’s Bar & Restaurant News, and he recently worked as the editor of World Tea News with Questex’s Bar & Restaurant Group. In 2023, he was a finalist and honorable mention in the “Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards” for Range of Work by a Single Author – B2B.” Connect with him on Instagram: @adventurer_explorer.
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