The Downtown Café, a staple of Glen Cove, hit the milestone of 20 years in business this spring. To mark the occasion, the popular restaurant was honored at the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District’s annual meeting, where citations were presented from various local elected officials and organizations.
Owners Vincent Abbondandolo and Shawn Scoyni, along with former owner and co-founder John Zozzaro were presented with an award from the Glen Cove Downtown BID and citations from Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck, Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and the office of Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine.
The Downtown Café opened in 2003, founded by three friends with a vision: To create a gathering place where people can meet up, have a drink, and eat a good meal. The idea, according to Zozzaro, was to become like “Cheers,” a place where everyone knows your name. Situated right in the center of downtown, the café and its neighboring pizza place have surpassed that goal and established itself as a staple of downtown Glen Cove. The restaurant has employed many young Glen Covers, and Zozzaro said part of the fun of owning the place has been seeing people grow and become family.
The Downtown Café also supports childhood cancer charities, hosting the St. Baldrick’s Foundation head shaving event every March for the past 15 years. A total of $434,561 has been raised for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and the Nicholas Pedone Foundation through their fundraisers to date.
