By the time Kristy Brussell walked out of Morning Rose Cafe with a bag of leftovers for her husband, there was no doubt: Bellmore’s beloved breakfast spot was truly back.
“Oh my god, so good. So good,” Brussell said after eating breakfast with her two kids on Tuesday morning. “I think we ate our weight in churro French toast bites and Mickey Mouse pancakes.”
Nearly four months after abruptly closing, Morning Rose Cafe quietly reopened this week under new ownership, bringing back the familiar food, staff, and community feel that regulars had been waiting for.
“I figured the best way to make everyone in the community happy again was to reopen,” new co-owner Brian Kalikow told Greater Long Island. “It’s the same food and the same staff that everyone loved in the past.”
Kalikow and his two partners purchased the Bedford Avenue restaurant from longtime owner Rose Tzanetos, who retired in September following a 12-year run. As Greater Long Island previously reported, Tzanetos initially closed the cafe for a scheduled vacation, but ultimately decided not to reopen after taking time to reflect.
For months, Morning Rose Cafe’s social media accounts remained quiet — until Sunday, when “big news” was teased. On Monday, the announcement came: a soft reopening. By Tuesday morning, the cafe was once again packed.
Now under new ownership, the restaurant is planning a full grand reopening on Thursday.
“Rose stayed and helped with the transition to make sure everything went smooth,” Kalikow said. “The name keeps everything that it always had behind it.”
Brussell said her family had been regulars for years and couldn’t wait to return — even if it meant coming without her husband.
“He’s so pumped because it’s the only place that made authentic southern biscuits and gravy, but he had to work so we didn’t tell him we were coming,” she said with a laugh. “But we are bringing him some leftovers.”
While much of the original menu remains intact, Kalikow said customers can expect some new additions alongside familiar favorites.
“My favorite right now is the new Dubai Chocolate stuffed French toast,” he said. “We will have seasonal specials and weekly specials, plus the menu that everyone always knew and loved.”
Morning Rose Cafe is now open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Top: Tuesday morning’s soft reopening at the Morning Rose Café in Bellmore. Now under new ownership, the restaurant is planning a full grand reopening on Thursday. (Credit: Andrew Rappaport)
