by William Hamilton
The Park Café, which closed abruptly in July, is back in business with new owners. Meanwhile, Dooby’s Café—or something similar—may be coming to Bolton Hill soon.
“We’re not quite ready to announce anything,” said Phil Han, who owns Dooby’s, a restaurant that serves Korean-tilted food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as Sugarvale, a small bar, both located in Mt. Vernon.
Discussions are underway for Han’s organization to take over the vacant Two Boots Pizza location on Mt. Royal Avenue adjacent to the Brass Tap pub and the Barnes & Noble bookstore. But neither Han nor Bolton Hill resident Monica Lavorgna, who manages retail space rentals for the Fitzgerald apartment building, would say when an announcement might be forthcoming.
Elsa Valdez and her brother Jorge Gonzalez are now at the helm of Park Café, which reopened on Aug. 9. Valdez was the chef when the café operated under other owners. The coffee, soup and sandwich venue keeps the same menu and community spirit that has made the place successful in the past.
“We will operate the cafe as a family business, providing customers with the same great service and quality of food as always,” the new owners said. “Moving forward we will focus on the introduction of new menu items, including more house-made pastries, ethnically inspired dishes, and expanded catering.”