Petition Formed To Save Current Iteration Of Ada's Kitchen + Coffee In Riverside

GREENWICH, CT — Ron Romaniello, a landlord and co-owner of the property at 112 Riverside Ave., announced this week that Ada's Kitchen + Coffee will not close and plans on opening under new management in the future. But residents in Riverside are rallying to save the current iteration of the business with an online petition.

Michael Pietrafeso has operated Ada's, the beloved eatery that offers scratch-made seasonal food and locally roasted coffee, since 2016. He said in a social media post late last month that due to a proposed rent increase, he has no choice but to close the doors by mid-February 2024 and move on.

Residents flocked to social media to express disappointment at the news. Romaniello, the nephew of Ada Cantavero, who ran Ada's Variety Shop for decades, issued a statement to Patch this week to clarify the situation and state that Ada's is not closing for good.

"November 15, 2023, will mark the 73rd year anniversary of Ada’s in Riverside, one of the last icons left in Greenwich. In 2025 we will be celebrating our 75th anniversary," Romaniello said. "During that time our family has been proud residents of the community. The current tenant has decided not to renew his lease but the friends and families of Ada’s of Riverside will be delighted by what comes next when Ada’s reopens its doors under new management. Be on the lookout for special events and improvements as part of the anniversary celebration, making it a truly memorable occasion for all."

Romaniello did not mention the proposed rent increase. He said he is currently "assessing multiple options" to take over the daily operations of Ada's, but due to lease obligations, the next chapter of Ada's can't begin until early 2024.

Romaniello noted that the tradition of the business will live on, but two Riverside residents want the current chapter of the business to continue.

Residents Dede Siguler and Avery Carpenter Forrey spoke to other Riverside neighbors after they heard of the news and decided to start an online petition.

In under a week, the petition has garnered over 1,700 signatures.

The hope is to bring all the stakeholders to the table to come up with a resolution that satisfies everyone.

"We don't want to be confrontational," Carpenter Forrey told Patch. "I really do believe that there's a way that everyone can be happy in this situation."

Siguler and Carpenter Forrey frequent Ada's several times throughout the week.

Located at 112 Riverside Ave., Ada's offers breakfast, lunch and dinner to go. Customers can find a variety of scratch-made sandwiches, wraps, salads, bowls, pastries, locally roasted artisan coffee, tea and smoothies, and candy, an homage to Cantavero's penny candy shop that operated in the same building for decades.

Along with his wife, Krista, Pietrafeso uses ingredients from local farms and purveyors and changes the menu with the season.

"It's not just a restaurant, it's a sort of emblem of what it means to live in Riverside, which is a place that is focused on community, is walkable and is a place where you can talk to your neighbors and gather for a cup of coffee," Carpenter Forrey said. "'Friends' the show has Central Perk, 'Gilmore Girls' has Luke's Diner, and Riverside has Ada's."

Siguler said Michael and Krista have "built something special," and it's important to keep the current management and staff intact.

"The staff there is so kind, the food is unbelievably good, the coffee is amazing. The family and the staff have really become a part of the fabric of the community. This iteration of Ada's for us is not replaceable. This is the exact Ada's the neighborhood cares about and wants," Siguler added. "The overwhelming message we've gotten from the neighborhood is that this particular iteration of Ada's is kind of an institution at this point."

The building has a rich history, as it was once the Riverside Post Office. Ada's Variety Shop was open for nearly 60 years; Cantavero died in 2008.

Several years later, Romaniello expressed a desire to offer food while keeping Ada's tradition of selling candy alive.

He met with Pietrafeso, and Ada's Kitchen + Coffee was born. The building underwent a big renovation and the new business opened in 2016.

Pietrefeso is a graduate of Greenwich High School. He attended the French Culinary Institute in New York City and worked as a private chef and at several farm-to-table restaurants in the area over the years.

Pietrefeso has since branched out and opened Roost Kitchen + Coffee, a sister store of Ada's, first in the Noroton section of Darien in 2018, and then in Cos Cob in 2021 at 236 E. Putnam Ave. Roost features similar menu items.

Past attempts to reach Pietrafeso for comment have been unsuccessful.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Ron Romaniello is a co-owner of the property at 112 Riverside Ave.