Husband, Wife Expand Massapequa Park Business With Cafe Bella

MASSAPEQUA PARK, NY — A husband and wife are expanding their business footprint in Massapequa Park.

After opening a SoBol franchise in 2020, specializing in acai bowls and smoothies, Dawn Lamont and Steve Vaccaro, who hails from Floral Park, decided the time was right for another shop. In late May, Cafe Bella was born.

But growing pains would follow, unlike the established SoBol name. "This was a lot of work," Lamont, who grew up in Queens, told Patch.

Cafe Bella started with a soft launch to handle the adjustment.

She came into the restaurant world from the medical industry for more than two decades, but her dream was to run a quaint cafe, which is attached to SoBol by a barn door.

The menu offers a variety for breakfast and lunch patrons, including empanadas and grilled cheese. They have several vendors to provide menu options, but the signature items are coffee and dessert, including gelato and cannolis.

"It's starting to pick up," Lamont said.

For those who regularly visit their SoBol store, Lamont wants to be more proactive with what's behind door number two.

"I have a good base of customers; I just have to make them aware," she said.

Lamont and Vaccaro are looking to fill the menu with popular items that will keep bringing people to Cafe Bella.

"We're trying to make everyone happy," she said.

Cafe Bella is located at 4863 Merrick Rd.