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Photo courtesy of Grandma’s Cheesecake Sandwiches
The fi rst Grandma’s Cheesecake Sandwiches location opens in Whitestone Sept. 28
Grandma’s Cheesecake
Sandwiches owner opens
new Whitestone location
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
A Bayside baker’s tasty dessert mashup
will soon have an offi cial home in
Whitestone.
This weekend, Lisa Cotoggio of
Grandma’s Cheesecake Sandwiches is
opening up her fi rst brick-and-mortar
shop at 12-40 Clintonville St. On Sept. 28,
visitors sampled the decadent confections
inspired by her grandmother Raphaella's
cheesecake recipe.
And children participated in face painting
and balloon twisting.
Cotoggio said that Raphaella moved to
Whitestone in 1955, making it the ideal
place to establish her business. She added
that her grandmother lived close to the
business, which previously housed Caff e
Italia and Pastry Shop.
For the past fi ve and a half months,
Cotoggio has been getting the store ready
for customers and testing new recipes.
Her goal is to have 12 fl avor varieties
available daily.
“I’ve been testing and testing and testing
new recipes but I’ve had to get used to
baking in a new kitchen,” Cotoggio said.
Th e dessert combines Raphaella’s classic
recipe between two freshly baked cookies.
In addition to her standard fl avors,
Cotoggio’s new combinations include
cherry chocolate chip cheesecake in red
cookies and white chocolate cheesecake
sandwiched between two chocolate cookies.
Customers can also purchase other
“grab-and-go” baked goods like pound
cakes and croissants as well as branded
T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Prior to opening her business, she
baked her treats at Cardinali Bakery
in Syosset. But when the owner decided
to renovate the space, she knew it
was time to take her business to the
next level.
In October, she told QNS that she initially
wanted to open up a food truck but
learned that the city had over a decade of
unfulfi lled applications. She began selling
the cheesecake sandwiches at local
shops in Queens, which she plans to continue
doing.
Cotoggio also said that she wants to
expand her reach to bigger retail stores
and currently has deals with several large
supermarkets in the works.
Hours of operation are Monday to
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
dining out
Fun Festival
Grand Goblin
Buddy Abrams
Family Fun Activities:
Trick or Treating
Pumpkin Picking*
Pumpkin Painting*
Haunted House
Bounce Houses
$20 for children only*
Carmel Apple Factory*
Cupcake Decorating*
Mask Making
Face Painting
Princess Sing-A-Long
Magic Jeff
Leggz Ltd. Presents:
Night on Bald Mountain
And So Much More!
*While Supplies last
October 26
11am - 3pm
FOR TICKETS CALL 516.323.4444
OR VISIT WWW.MADISONTHEATRENY.ORG
1000 HEMPSTEAD AVE., ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY
•Marty Bevilacqua
•Cerebral Palsy Association
of Nassau County
•Dime Community Bank
•Front Street Bakery
•Halloween Fun Fest Committee
•Joan Hope McNaughton –
Leggz Ltd. Dance
•John & Judy Mead
•Molloy Alumni Association
•Molloy Student Government
•Molloy Performing Arts Club
•North Park Chiropractic /
Dr. Michael Russo
•Rockville Centre
Guild for the Arts
•Rockville Centre Lions Club
& Leos
•RVC Fire Department
•Rockville Centre Youth Council
Participating Contributors:
/WWW.MADISONTHEATRENY.ORG
/WWW.QNS.COM
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