The Cottage Café Restaurant & Pub, a staple of Bethany Beach’s dining scene for nearly 30 years, announced today that it will be sold to Rehoboth Beach-based hospitality group, SoDel Concepts.
“We’re really proud and it’s an honor to carry on the Cottage Café tradition,” SoDel’s president, Scott Kammerer tells What Now Philadelphia. “It’s been a successful restaurant for 30 years and I’m happy for the opportunity that our company can continue to grow it, and be a steward of it into the future.”
The original Cottage Cafe was founded in Ocean City in 1993 by college friends, Tom Neville and Brent Poffenberger. A year later, they opened the Bethany Beach location, followed by their second concept, Bethany Boathouse, in 2015, which they will continue to own and operate.
In a press release provided to What Now Philadelphia, Poffenberge said, “Owning two restaurants has been rewarding, but now we want to spend more time with our families. We feel fortunate that a local family-owned company like SoDel Concepts is interested in The Cottage Café. It’s important that we leave it in good hands. We are confident that SoDel will continue the tradition of great service to our guests, and, maybe most importantly, they will take care of our staff.”
Kammerer echoed the sentiment, saying, “We really don’t plan on making any changes. I like it the way it is. I really plan on just trying to support the people that work there, and give them what they need to be successful.”
In a statement, Kammerer added, “The Cottage Café is family-friendly, and it will stay that way. They don’t make coastal restaurants like this anymore, and we are proud to continue Tom and Brent’s legacy.”
