Dina's Italian Cafeteria Opens in Newburgh, Drawing Packed Crowd Downtown
Named for a grandmother who arrived at Ellis Island at age 11 and later worked the lunch line at Newburgh Free Academy, Dina's Italian Cafeteria packed its Liberty Street dining room on March 6.
Chuck Bivona slid up the "finestrella" quietly in mid-November, but on Friday, March 6, he threw it wide open. Dina's Italian Cafeteria at 102 Liberty Street drew a completely packed dining room for its official grand opening and ribbon cutting, an event hosted by the City of Newburgh that brought together community members, local business owners, and members of the Newburgh City Council.
Bivona and co-owner Rosa Wallace addressed the crowd alongside their child Avril. John DeFrancesco and family were photographed outside the shop with City Council members after the ceremony. Guests that evening sampled complimentary small bites and ordered from the restaurant's full kitchen menu, with many praising the atmosphere, service, and food.
The restaurant sits at the corner of Liberty and Washington streets and carries a name rooted in Bivona family history. Dina's is named for his grandmother, Dina DiDonato, born in 1924 in Italy, who arrived at Ellis Island at age 11 with her mother and came straight to Newburgh. She eventually opened Dina's Beauty Studio and, in retirement, worked part-time in the cafeteria at Newburgh Free Academy. The word "cafeteria" in the restaurant's name is a deliberate nod to her days working that lunch line, and Bivona built the menu around his best attempts to recreate her dishes.
Walk-up ordering is central to the concept, a design choice that also marks the first step in a planned three-phase rollout. "I like to do things slow and consistent," Bivona said. "I don't rush anything." His partners in the venture are Wallace, Sean Moul, and Dan Schiavone, the former owner of Craft Draft.
The opening adds another chapter to a long Bivona presence on Liberty Street. Old-guard Newburgh residents remember the original Bivona's Simply Pasta, run by Chuck's parents and grandmother from 1989 to 1991. He revived the name in 2023, opening a new Bivona's Simply Pasta about a five-minute walk from Dina's. His reputation in the community extends beyond the kitchen: he has donated large quantities of handmade pasta to local Thanksgiving meal programs.
Community leaders at the grand opening said the turnout reflected broader momentum in Newburgh's downtown, where new restaurants and small businesses have steadily increased foot traffic along the Liberty Street corridor. Dina's Italian Cafeteria is now open to the public at 102 Liberty Street.
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