The Cottage Café Restaurant & Pub in Bethany Beach has been sold to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware-based SoDel Concepts.
“The Cottage Café has such a sweet spot in the hearts of so many locals and visitors,” said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts. “Because the restaurant is in a fast-growing area, it attracts a loyal following and a new fan base.”
Tom Neville and Brent Poffenberger started the restaurant in 1993 in Ocean City after graduating from Shepherd University in West Virginia. In 1994 they opened a second Cottage Cafe in Bethany in its current location.
In the early days, both partners cooked. “We did everything,” Neville said. “We worked 80-hour weeks. But the hard work paid off.”
The partners later opened the Bethany Boathouse, which they will continue to own.
“Owning two restaurants has been rewarding, but now we want to spend more time with our families,” Poffenberger said. “We feel fortunate that a local family-owned company like SoDel Concepts is interested in The Cottage Café. It’s important that we leave it in good hands. We are confident that SoDel will continue the tradition of great service to our guests, and, maybe most importantly, they will take care of our staff.”
Kammerer said customers and staff should not expect the 240-seat restaurant to change. All of the local favorites including the bestselling pot roast will remain on the menu.
“The Cottage Café is family-friendly, and it will stay that way,” Kammerer said. “They don’t make coastal restaurants like this anymore, and we are proud to continue Tom and Brent’s legacy.”
SoDel has been buying restaurants from original owners, the most recent being Surf Bagel. It operates upwards of a dozen and a half restaurants and brewpubs in Sussex Coounty. [Not a valid template]
Cornerstone Award winners named
The Delaware Restaurant Association (DRA) will host the 20th Annual Restaurant Industry Cornerstone Awards on Monday, October 24th at the Lighthouse Cove Events Center in Dewey Beach, with an after-party immediately following at Nalu.
Each year, the DRA honors the contributions of Delaware’s restaurant industry.
It marks the 20th anniversary of the the DRA-led industry celebration.
Honored at the event will be Dennis & Carolyn Forbes of Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant; Restaurateurs of the Year, Robert Lhulier an Bill Irvin, Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar, north Wilmington; and a new category, the Industry Impact Awards going to Michelle Souza, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (wholesaler) and Ryan Ennis, Motivator/Beyond the Bar United
“We are extremely excited and proud to celebrate these iconic restaurateurs and industry leaders at this year’s Cornerstone Awards” said Delaware Restaurant Association CEO Carrie Leishman. “Their stories represent the resiliency of restaurants whose pivotal trailblazers embody a strong dedication and commitment to making this industry a better place. Each of our awardees will undoubtedly leave a long lasting legacy in the lives and the communities in which they serve.”
