Avenue 67 Cafe replaces Nonna's Sweet Treats

It isn't always easy doing business on the ocean block of Rehoboth Avenue.

The latest to bite the bullet is Nonna's Sweet Treats.

Owner Catherine Beck, known throughout the community as "Nonna," recently sold the business to her former employee and baker, John Parana.

The shop, located on the north side next to Nicola Pizza, has since been transformed into Avenue 67 Cafe, with a relaxed atmosphere, homemade pastries, Italian specialties, ice cream and waffles.

"I wanted a place more geared toward a sit-down menu," he said. "I wanted a more traditional cafe."

Avenue 67 Cafe offers breakfast items like homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, Challah french toast and the 67B, made with bacon, egg, avocado and chipotle mayo. A lunch and light dinner menu, showcasing options like homemade soup bowls, gourmet salads, sandwiches and paninis, will be available soon.

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Already, quite a few upgrades have been made to the space. But Parana is nowhere near done.

He intends to convert the cafe's downstairs area, which is currently being used for storage, into an elegant yet casual wine cellar that will be able to accommodate nearly 40 people. Parana hopes the underutilized space will become the perfect locale for private parties, a retreat from the beach or an intimate date with a loved one.

Upstairs, the old pastry shop will be transformed into an Italian bistro, with vintage decor and Mediterranean trees and flowers.

Everything at Avenue 67 Cafe, just like at Nonna's, is homemade by Parana, from the cream-stuffed lobster tails and danishes to the chocolate macaronsand biscottis. Although the pastry chef has gone without official schooling, he's had nearly a lifetime of practice in the kitchen.

His passion for cooking, he said, developed as a child, when he took over preparing family meals for his mother when she became ill. After Parana married his wife, Angela, the newlyweds ran her family's Italian restaurant in New Jersey. It was during this time, he said, that his passion for baking truly flourished.

"Everything just clicked," he said.

When the couple moved their family to Delaware, they opened their own bakery, Bake My Day, in Fenwick Island. After a successful three years, though, they sold it to move further north, closer to where Angela worked as a teacher in the Woodbridge school district.

Parana soon found himself happily working in Rehoboth Beach at Nonna's Sweet Treats. When word got out that the owner had no intention of reopening, the community voiced their concerns.

"I started getting dozens of emails and letters saying that I should take over," he said. "At first, we laughed off the idea. But then we started to really think about it, and about the potential of the space. And, well, here we are. And to tell you the truth, we couldn't be happier."

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302-537-1881, ext. 207

Avenue 67 Cafe

Where: 67 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach

When:

Call: 302-569-1424