Restaurants keep ‘small town’ vibe alive, draw crowds in Bellmore

In today’s economic climate, the small town retail district has suffered. With the rise of online shopping and department stores constantly expanding their product lines, small town businesses and “mom and pop” shops are diminishing.

Historically, Bellmore has always made efforts to preserve small town life through its annual Street Fair, Friday Night Car Shows, and holiday parades.

Now, Bellmore is hanging on to small town life through its growing restaurant scene. While many local businesses have closed in recent years, they have been replaced by restaurants, attracting not only Bellmore residents, but also members of surrounding communities.

Kristen O’Brien, manager of Crown Gastropub on Bedford Avenue, says that it’s the spirit of the community that makes Bellmore a great place to open a restaurant.

“There is a real sense of camaraderie here in this town,” said O’Brien. “Being from Bellmore myself, I have a commonality with our customers. Every table seems know each other, creating a great sense of family, which is exactly what the owners were trying to do by opening this establishment.”

Crown Gastropub, formerly known as Crown Steakhouse, is one of the newer restaurants in town, opening in 2016. Co-owner and long-time Merrick resident Gerry McClorey wanted to bring the look and feel of the bars and nightclubs he owns in Manhattan to the Long Island area.

O’Brien said that by creating a pub atmosphere with high-quality food, the gastropub will contribute to Bellmore’s growing nightlife.

“Especially with the changing weather now, Bedford Avenue is really taking off,” said O’Brien. “Between young people coming off the train from the city, and the various events happening in town this time of year, people are always walking around outside, and we expect a great crowd this summer.”

Rose Tzanetos, owner of Morning Rose Cafe, said that Bellmore is a great place to open a restaurant because the town’s residents are looking for convenience and a homey atmosphere.

“People are always looking for places to get together with friends and family,” said Tzanetos. “We have people come in and celebrate all kinds of occasions in our restaurant.”

With its all-day breakfast and “New England B&B” aesthetic, Morning Rose Cafe has become one of the most popular places to eat in Bellmore since it opened in 2013. Also located on Bedford Avenue, the cafe has not only attracted customers from the Bellmore area, but also has regulars from Brooklyn to Riverhead.

The trend of taking pictures of food and sharing them on social media is being described by many online as “foodie culture.”

According to Tzanetos, “foodie culture” has played a role in the success of her restaurant, as well as today’s restaurant industry in general. She said that photos of food on popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are like free advertisements.

“As soon as people get their food, the first thing they do is take a picture of it,” said Tzanetos. “We love that people find our food interesting and exciting enough to take photos. Sometimes we have to remind people to stop taking pictures and start eating before their food gets cold,” she said.

Other Bellmore eateries that have opened within the last few years include Komo Asian Cuisine, Picante’s Mexican and Italian Grill, The 3rd Rail and Korea Spoon.