College Park Cafe, the Edgewater Drive diner, has been under new ownership since Oct. 18 when Alan and Joey bought the business. You’re asking, “Alan and Joey who?” and I’d love to tell you. But Joey told me in a phone conversation that they have been receiving threats and are concerned for their safety. So first names only.
Longtime fans of the cafe might also like to know that they’ve brought back David – also no last name – who cooked at the diner from 1988 through 2018 when the previous owners took over. David has brought back the “world famous” made-from-scratch biscuits and collard greens.
The previous owners had introduced a line of Cuban dishes gathered, according to a note on the cafe’s Yelp page, from their grandmother’s recipes. And the place was dubbed Abuelita Kitchen at College Park Cafe.
But what about the threats?
Noting from a Facebook post on the College Park Cafe page that Alan and Joey are not only business partners but a couple, as well, I asked if the threats were homophobic in nature. But Joey said the threats were from anonymous people who were concerned that the new owners would disrespect the Cuban cuisine that the previous owners had initiated. And quite the opposite regarding the couple – he said that staff, customers and the LGBTQ community had been quite welcoming.
Joey said that some of the Cuban dishes will be kept on the menu alongside the more traditional diner fare.
