THE
AGORA
COFFEEHAUS &
EVENT VENUE
Located in Historic Downtown Red Oak
Recent Updates
We’re a young business with a lot in motion — and we think you should know about it. Running a coffeehaus is a community affair.
The Agora is a place to slow down, connect, and enjoy fresh in-house roasted organic coffee made with clean, quality ingredients. Good coffee is the start. Community is the point.
Established in 2024
What is The Agora and what does it mean?
During Ancient Greek times, the agora was a market and a place for assembly.
The Agora in Red Oak, Iowa is designed to be a community hub; a place where people can gather, share conversation over coffees and teas, and/or find a cozy nook to read a book, get some work done, or study for personal advancement. The space is also available to rent for private events.
When are you open?
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM
As we continue fine tuning our operations, we will continue to expand upon our hours.
Where is The Agora located?
The Agora is located next door to the Red Oak Grand Theatre – just off “The Square” – in Historic Downtown Red Oak at 404 E Coolbaugh Street.
The Coffeehaus & Event Venue occupies a 5400 sq. ft. Classical Revival brick building built in 1901. The building historically was occupied by furniture stores up until 2014 when previous owners converted the main floor into an event venue and the upstairs was converted into an eclectic living space.
The front exterior of The Agora on its opening day for the coffeehaus; Saturday, November 29th, 2025. The warmth from the inside peers through the storefront windows on the cold Saturday morning. A light dusting of snow covered the community but didn’t stop people from stopping by for their first freshly roasted cup of coffee in The Agora.
What makes The Agora different?
We strive to craft high quality products, utilize and offer clean foods and ingredients, and provide a welcoming and comfortable sit-down experience for all to enjoy.
- We source organic specialty coffee beans and roast the beans on-site.
- We try the best we can to utilize clean and organic ingredients in our drinks.
- We offer gluten-free snacks and other options for those with sensitivities.
- We provide high-speed secure internet for those who want to get some work done.
- We have a strong rooted passion for this community and want to succeed.
What events can be hosted at The Agora?
The venue has been used for many common event types like graduation parties, celebration of life lunches, wedding receptions, bridal / baby showers, birthday parties, business meetings, and more.
Follow The Agora on Facebook for updates.
Does anyone know what happened to the old ceramic mural that students created which hung outside the gym doors at the old Middle School?
We would love to display that inside the coffeehaus for the community to enjoy again if it still exists.
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✝️ Easter Sunday:
1. We’re open regular hours.
2. There will be no baked goods because we sold out Saturday (we should have increased our numbers. We learned our lesson.)
As for the first two photos attached, we had some kids enjoy our whiteboard today. I enjoyed seeing it so I thought you might like it, too. 😊
I would also like to extend a big thank-you to everyone that came in today. Whether you were in for coffee, records, or both - it was a great pleasure to see the space filled with community. Black Cat Records and Books will be back again in the not too distant future. 🥰
Also also:
- Thank you for your patience during high traffic times.
- We’ll be ordering more Irish Cream flavoring, don’t you worry. 😆
- Thanks to Lewellen Media for snapping some photos while in with family today; we appreciate you.
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Beau here. I have a few stories and thoughts to share on this Saturday morning:
1. When I worked at the Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association, every morning an employee from Mark Jackson's Red Oak Hardware Hank would clean off the front walk with a leaf blower - they even did the Chamber’s front entry. That memory stuck with me and now I do the same thing for the Agora. If you’ve never seen how well kept the Japanese keep their streets and neighborhoods, I encourage you to research it - that too has left an impact on me.
2. We will be open on Easter. Whether or not if you have family in town, if you’re looking for a place to hang out, come on down. Mi casa es su casa.
3. We will be bringing back the medium roast Peruvian bean. It was too good and I miss it, especially for our cold brew offering. Our dark roast Honduras just isn’t the same, I admit it. For those looking for a basic dark roast offering, it fits, but it doesn’t have the extra pizazz that the Peruvian did.
4. Dale Cooper. If you know you know.
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