New York Congressional District #17

District Success Story:
Cornerstone Restaurant

The Cornerstone Restaurant in Congers opened in September 1994 when owners Barbara Nochturft and Andrea D’Andrea, who had previously worked together, decided to start a venture on their own. Since 1994, the pair has served clientele savory and healthy breakfast and lunch options, and looked forward to growing the business. When Super Storm Sandy hit, an extended power outage forced the Cornerstone to close, caused extensive inventory losses, and derailed their growth plans. Further complicating the restaurant’s recovery was the inability of suppliers to deliver fresh inventory as soon as the storm passed because many roads were still inaccessible. With true entrepreneurial spirit, Barbara and Andrea never quit. They continued to pay their employees, who could not afford to lose their wages. The Cornerstone staff cleaned out spoiled food and prepared to re-open. When Barbara and Andrea learned about the disaster assistance available, they reached out to Advisor Andrea Giraldo at the Rockland SBDC Business Recovery Center. She helped them to quantify their losses, develop the required documentation, and set the Cornerstone on the path to recovery. Barbara and Andrea received $34,777 in direct NY Rising assistance, which enabled them to re-open the restaurant and get back on track for growth. They have now doubled in size and have hired two new employees to handle the additional demands of their new space. Barbara and Andrea are once again envisioning a “…a bright future now that the SBDC has cleared the storm clouds from our horizon!”