Avenue 67 to expand menu

After opening in July, the new Avenue 67 Cafe in Rehoboth Beach is set to expand its menu to begin serving lunch and dinner.

Taking the place of Nonna’s Sweet Treats at 67 Rehoboth Ave. in July, Avenue 67 currently offers breakfast, baked goods and ice cream.

Owner John Parana said, “I’m trying to create a comfortable, casual, leisurely atmosphere,” he said. “Once Sept. 4 hits, we’re going to go completely into the lunch and dinner business.”

He said lunch and dinner items will be kept within the $5 to $10 range.

Parana said he decided to wait until after the rush of Labor Day travelers to serve lunch and dinner. He said Avenue 67 will have daily specials, which can be found on capegazette.com, and $5 burger nights. He said the lunch menu will include grilled cheese, soups, bread bowls and paninis among other items; the dinner menu would focus on homestyle cooking: chicken and veal marsala, meatloaf and chicken.

“That seems to be what is needed here from September on. We’re going to leave a lot up to the customer,” Parana said.

He said the restaurant is looking to get involved with local schools and parent-teacher organizations to provide low-cost meals for families.

“There’s a lot of families out here that don’t have that ability. So we want to give back,” Parana said.

Parana had been offering his baked goods at the location’s former tenant, Nonna’s Sweet Treats, before Nonna’s ownership decided not to come back for the summer, leaving the lease in Parana’s hands. Parana decided to continue on, renaming the restaurant and offering his baked goods, as well as a breakfast menu that includes waffles, biscuits and french toast.

Originally from New Jersey, Parana, wife Angela and sons Justin and Jonathan moved to the area after they were hit hard by the 2008 financial collapse. A self-taught baker, Parana operated Bake My Day in Fenwick Island for three years before moving to Rehoboth to work at Nonna’s. He said going through financial hardship makes him want to use Avenue 67 to offer affordable meals.

“We just want to give a good meal at a reasonable price so everyone can get out for dinner,” Parana said.

Avenue 67 is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit them on Facebook or call 227-3800.