A new business formally opened in downtown Ansonia Tuesday.
Cafe 252, the brainchild of Eastchester, N.Y. resident Mario Clemente and his family, opened its doors to about a dozen officials and customers during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Clemente, who ran a pizzeria in the Bronx when he was 16 years old, said he spent 25 years working in the construction business before deciding to take another shot at the food service business.
“With this, I’ve come full circle,” Clemente said Tuesday.
Since December Clemente and his family — wife Annette and son Stefano — have been working to renovate the space at 252 Main St., which used to house Custom Shoppe Upholstery, which relocated to Wakelee Avenue.
A flat-screen TV mounted in the business shows pictures of the renovation in progress.
Clemente said he was looking to open a business somewhere in Connecticut for about 18 months and noticed the building for sale last year.
He said city officials have been helpful while he’s been fixing up the business.
Mayor James Della Volpe walked into the business Tuesday morning with encouragement for the Clementes.
“The place looks great,” the mayor said. “It’s what we need.”
To an extent, he noted while cutting the ribbon.
“We look forward to a lot of good eats,” Della Volpe said. “We’ll have to work out a little more than usual, because it looks very filling.”
Clemente said he appreciated the support, and thanked his wife and son for their work to get the business opened.
“We won’t let you down,” he told those gathered. “We’ll put out the best food possible. We’ll make you proud to be part of your community.”
See the video above for footage from the ribbon cutting Tuesday (May 21).
Afterward employees passed out mimosas as those gathered sampled Cafe 252’s offerings.
Clemente said the business will serve breakfast and lunch, and have typical fare like egg sandwiches, but also more specialty items.
Like the custom-made Nutella-filled croissants he gets from his baker, or panzerotti, like a calzone but smaller, and deep-fried.
“It’s very, very light,” Clemente said of the panzerotti. “It’s so light you could probably eat two or three of them without even noticing.”
The menu also features a bevy of focaccia, salads, soups, and sandwiches.
Clemente said a highlight is the “Cafe 252 Special,” a grilled skirt steak with fresh herbs, arugula, and mozzarella.
He said it will be interesting to see what people like.
“I don’t know what’s going to sell,” he said, noting that he made the rounds of businesses in the area over the weekend in an effort to drum up interest. “I’m hoping word of mouth will spread. If you’re not happy with something, we’ll take care of you right there and then.”
The business is the second new eatery to open recently downtown — a few doors down, Kaptan Pizza also opened recently at 242 Main St.
Alderman Edward Adamowski was in attendance and, through a Facebook post, urged his fellow citizens to buy local.
“Let’s all make an effort to support our downtown businesses and ensure that they stay here in Ansonia,” he said.
Details
Cafe 252 is located at 252 Main St., Ansonia.
Hours are Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The phone number is 203 – 751-9396.
