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Business & Tech

Q&A: Loyal Customers Fill the Seats of The Cottage

Down home cooking is served daily at the longtime Woodmere eatery.

Don’t let the words “coffee shop” outside of fool you. Owners and brothers Mike and Andrew Tofalli offer a full range of diner favorites and specials in this homey restaurant. Patch recently sat down with Mike to talk about the appeal of his restaurant.

Were you in the restaurant business before you took over the Cottage in 1995?

Not really. But my family has always been. Since I was a little kid, my father always had diners. So, I’ve always been around kitchens. My brother and I are really the main cooks. It’s a real owner-operated place.

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Why did you decide to open your business in the Five Towns?

We knew the previous owners. Also, I was born and bred in the Five Towns. My father bought the place, with the intent of me coming in. My brother and I are here now. We both share all the responsibilities.

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Have you made any changes to the Cottage since you’ve been here?

We kept it pretty much how it was when we got it, other than adding or dropping one or two things from the menu and some interior redecorating. I think this place has been here for at least 60 years. Some of my older customers tell me stories of how they used to come to the Cottage when they were young kids.

What would you say is the key to your success and longevity?

Loyal customers. We pretty much know about 75 percent of our customers. They’re regulars. We know them on a first name basis.

What are some of your most popular menu items?

Cheeseburgers. People love our burgers. We sell a lot of salads too. We actually started doing dinners two nights a week about two years ago, and it turned out pretty well. We do meatloaf, brisket…

Tell me something that many people might not know about the Cottage.

The atmosphere. We know most of our customers. We entertain each other. When people come in here, they know each other from the clubs, like the Seawane Club [in Hewlett Harbor].

What is your clientele like?

I would say it’s definitely on the older side. Once in a while we get kids down here from the high school. The kids that come here during the week are the kids that know about us, because they come here with their parents on the weekend. They’re coming here since they were little kids.

What do you want people to take away from their experience at the Cottage?

There’s still local eateries around where people can come in and feel at home. You can come in here when the place is packed, and 60 percent of the people will know each other from the club or because they’re neighbors or they’re shopowners themselves. The camaraderie of the place is pretty much the experience.

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