Paradise Eatery Closes Doors

Tina Cosgrove Edgell cannot remember a time when her parents, James and Kathy Cosgrove, did not own the Revere Tavern in Paradise. The Cosgroves purchased the property at 3063 Lincoln Highway with a man named Buzz Myers when Tina was just a child nearly 60 years ago. "It was just this bar and one dining room," recalled Tina. "When Buzz wanted out, my dad bought his part."

In the early 1970s, an employee named Betty Hottenstein was looking forward to her son returning from serving in Vietnam, and she asked the Cosgroves if he could work in the restaurant. "Ray Hottenstein came to work for my parents and helped to develop the business," said Tina, who noted that the expansion included adding the banquet room and, in the 1990s, the hotel and theater located behind the restaurant, along with the suites located next door. Ray eventually went on to own the Olde Greenfield Inn.

Once the Revere Tavern announced in September that it was closing in early October, past customers from near and far made the journey to enjoy one more meal. "The last three weeks (we were open) was a walk down memory lane," said Tina. "That's where you realize the impact you made on the community," she added. "This wasn't just a restaurant; it was part of these families' histories."

Many patrons were first introduced to the restaurant when they attended a special event. "We had some remarkable weddings here," said Tina.

"We had so many fire company banquets," said assistant general manager Kim Nichols, who listed fire departments including Gordonville, Paradise, Lafayette, Christiana, and Eden among the departments that held yearly events at the venue. Tina recalled that in 1986 when a fire threatened the front of the building, the Eden Fire Company, located in Manheim Township, saved the structure.

Weathering COVID-19 restrictions was hard on the business, but the current labor shortage was also a detriment. Tina's father stopped working daily in 2018. Her mother stopped coming in during the COVID-19 shutdown, but she continues to be involved with the hotel from home. Tina's brother Jim Cosgrove was the restaurant's general manager, and Tina has worked there full time for the last several years. Along the way, her sister, Patty Watson; her own daughter; and her niece and nephew and other family members all worked there as well. According to Tina, everyone just filled in where they were needed. According to Kim, humility was the prevailing attitude. "People that worked here never said, 'That's not my job,'" she pointed out. "We all did whatever it took ... dishwashing, serving, cooking."

Both Tina and Kim would like to see the building become a new restaurant. "This building is a part of the community," said Kim. "It's a gorgeous, very sturdy, and well-taken-care-of building. It would be wonderful for someone to see the potential and have the drive to start a restaurant."

Although the Revere Tavern is closed, the Best Western Plus Revere Inn and Suites remains open, and updates may still be found by searching for "Revere Tavern" on Facebook.