Little House Cafe in Vineyard Haven is changing hands, names and menus this winter.
Businessman Brook Katzen, who bought the restaurant from its founding owners more than four years ago, confirmed Monday he is selling the business and property to longtime Island chef and caterer Carlos Montoya.
“We are incredibly grateful and excited that we’ll be taking over the beloved Little House Cafe and transforming it into The Maker Pasta Shop Café,” Mr. Montoya and partner Sheenagh Caridi posted on social media over the weekend.
“Our vision is to create a warm and welcoming space where you can enjoy handmade pasta and fresh, thoughtfully prepared dishes while continuing to feel the sense of community that made the Little House Café so special,” they wrote.
Details of the sale were not disclosed.
A native of Colombia who moved to the Vineyard in 2008, Mr. Montoya has cooked at Sweet Life, Garde East, Detente, Edgartown Yacht Club and The Kitchen at the Ritz. He also catered for two American presidents on their Island vacations.
Mr. Katzen, whose parents live on the Vineyard, moved here in 2020 and bought Little House Cafe later that year. He also acquired two nearby businesses on State Road: the former Island Cove mini-golf center (now called The Cove Golf and Grill) and the building that now houses the Model Deli, across the street from Little House.
In 2021, he partnered with Jim Shane of Edgartown to purchase Mad Martha’s Ice Cream.
Speaking with the Gazette on Monday, Mr. Katzen said he had enjoyed his foray into the restaurant business but that it was time for something new at Little House Cafe, a popular, year-round eatery established in 2010 by Merrick Carreiro and Jenik Khelalfa Munafo in partnership with their husbands.
“The restaurant scene in Vineyard Haven is evolving, [with] a lot more options now,” Mr. Katzen said. “Little House, amidst all this change, has stayed pretty much the same, and what the restaurant really needs is a complete reinvention of the concept [and] a fresh start under an experienced operator,” he said. “I hope the whole community will throw their support behind Carlos.”
Little House Café will close Feb. 15, Mr. Katzen said.
