You are reading

Sunnyside Couple Set to Open New Café on 43rd Avenue Friday

The Spot Café will open at 43-24 43rd Ave. Friday (Photo: Elena Dominguez)

May 6, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

A local couple will open a new café in Sunnyside Friday – their first business venture together and just three months after the arrival of their second child.

Elena Dominguez Cardozo and Octavio Dominguez Campos, a husband and wife duo, will open The Spot Café at 43-24 43rd Ave. tomorrow.

The new establishment will serve cold-cut sandwiches, wraps, salads, pastries and hamburgers. It will also offer teas and coffees as well as a wide range of smoothies and fruit juices.

“It has been a lifelong goal for both of us to open a place together,” Elena said. “We also felt there was a need in the community for a café that sells healthy food and drinks.”

The pair will operate out of a 575 square foot space that was previously occupied by a Chinese restaurant. They have just completed a seven-month overhaul of the premises that included revamping the interior and exterior of the building as well as fitting a new kitchen.

The café will be open for takeout, delivery and to-go counter service and will not have indoor dining to begin with.

The old awning has been torn down and the original façade has been freshened up and painted a wine color. New signage bearing the company name has gone up, along with a white vertical sign that reads “grill n snacks.”

Elena, 25, who has lived in Sunnyside her entire life, said that she came up with the name for the café based on past discussions with friends and family.

“My friends and family would always ask if I knew of a good place or ‘spot’ in the neighborhood to eat or get some drinks so I thought it would be a nice fit for our own café. I think it’s catchy!” Elena said.

The owners plan on adding high stools and a counter for customers in the near future. They are also considering putting a table and some chairs outside for customers to enjoy.

The renovations to the space began in October and Cardozo gave birth to their second child, a baby boy, in January. The couple also have a 6-year-old daughter together.

“It’s been a crazy few months but it will be worth the wait,” Elena said.

Elena, who is of Mexican descent, previously managed a restaurant in Corona that is owned by her family, while her husband has managed a deli and a juice bar. Octavio, 30, immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 2005.

The Spot Café, Elena said, will only serve drinks, snack bars, as well as pastries from third-party suppliers for the first two weeks since they are waiting on a permit to open the kitchen. The issuance of permit has been delayed by the pandemic, she said.

She said they will bake their own pastries and prepare all of their own foods once the permit comes through. The café will also offer deep-fried snacks like chicken wings and mozzarella sticks.

Elena said she is excited to open and is looking forward to serving the neighborhood.

“We want the community to feel the café is their home and we hope they embrace us with open arms.”

The café will be open Mondays through Sundays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

LGBTQ+ advocate calls for passage of GIRDS Act

Sep. 18, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

It has been several years since lawmakers first introduced the Gender Identity Respect, Dignity and Safety (GIRDS) Act in 2021. Various organizations, including the Trans Immigrant Project (TrIP) of Make The Road New York, have called on state legislators in Albany to protect and end discrimination against TGNCNBI (transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary and intersex) people in state and local correctional facilities.

College Point man charged with arson, attempted murder for allegedly starting 2-alarm house fire: NYPD

One of the five civilians rescued by the FDNY from a 2-alarm house fire in College Point on Friday morning was arrested later in the day for allegedly starting the blaze in his first-floor apartment.

Jonathan Mejia, 33, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16 on a complaint charging him with arson in the first degree, four counts of attempted murder in the second degree and other related charges.