Bonanza Stand honored for a century of ices and hot dogs
The Town of Oyster Bay unveiled a historical marker last week commemorating the Bonanza Stand, a fixture in the community that has served Italian ices and hot dogs for over a century.
Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino presented the marker at a ceremony on July 25 next to the stand, at the corner of Shore and Maxwell avenues. He was joined by Councilwoman Michele Johnson, Town Clerk Richard LaMarca, Oyster Bay Historical Society President Denice Evans-Sheppard and other community supporters. Stand owner Philip Bonanza Jr. and his stepmother Patricia, were also there.
Bonanza, the fourth-generation owner of the stand, thanked the town for the honor. His father, Philip Sr., ran the business for roughly five decades after inheriting it from his parents, before dying at age 81 in March of this year.
“Bonanza is a community business,” Philip Jr. said. “We love to serve the people, and the small towns are what it’s all about.”
The stand was founded by Italian immigrants John and Emma Bonanza in 1897. In the beginning it was simply a pushcart, which was common in big cities at the time, according to Saladino. Initially the family lived in Brooklyn, but they moved to Oyster Bay just before the turn of the 20th century.
The Bonanzas, Saladino added, would push the cart up and down village streets, offering hot dogs and Italian ices. Eventually the Bonanzas replaced the pushcart with a small red shack on Shore Avenue, where the business still operates today.
Judy Reimels, a longtime customer, fondly recalled visiting Bonanza’s with her children after baseball games.
“My kids went to St. John’s,” Reimels recounted, referring to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Cold Spring Harbor. “I would pick them up and we would come here.”
For generations, families like the Reimels have made Bonanza Stand a part of their summer tradition, creating cherished memories. The stand is renowned for offering more than 100 unique flavors of Italian ice, ranging from classic favorites like chocolate to more adventurous options like rainbow. But beyond the menu, it’s the history and sense of community that sets the stand apart.
That history, Saladino said, is “a shining example of the American dream.”
“With determination and hard work and a spirit of entrepreneurship, as well as that Oyster Bay spirit that everyone successful here is known for,” he said, “this family then, and this family now, continues to show their love for the community for having this very special business.”
The business, Saladino said, is part of the fabric of the community and its history. Just across Audrey Avenue from the stand is the Derby-Hall Bandstand, a replica of the original bandstand where President Theodore Roosevelt often gave speeches. His first term as president began in 1901, four years after the Bonanzas’ pushcart started making its rounds.
One hundred twenty-three years later, John and Emma’s legacy endures, as the next generation of Bonanzas continues to serve classic American street food to the community.
“We’re looking forward to keeping the tradition going for more generations to come,” Philip Jr. said.
As customers like Brenda Ellis attest, there truly is no place quite like it. “Great ices, great food, great people,” Ellis declared. “I don’t know any other places around like it.”
