STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.—Where do you even begin with a thank you? How do you start a story about people who feed an entire school simply because they believe in taking care of their community—the kind of Staten Islanders who wave hello, send a thoughtful e-mail, or show up when it matters.
A few days ago, I was reminded of that in a hospital room at Richmond University Medical Center with my kid. (All is well now.) During one of those long stretches where your eyes drift—to the walls, the hallway, the signs outside the window—I saw their names. Lois and Richard Nicotra. A plaque here, a sign there. Quiet reminders of people who have shaped this borough in ways big and small.
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A Brief History of the Nicotras in Restaurant TimePamela Silvestri
With their first venture, it was two young Staten Islanders building something from scratch, one swirl of fro-yo at a time at Everything Yogurt. It really was a food-world Cinderella story. They treated the counter like a social hub—remembering names, learning stories, making people feel welcome. That tiny shop eventually grew into a national franchise with more than 200 locations. More importantly, it became the foundation for everything that came after: their hotels, the café, the philanthropy, the scholarships, the community spaces. Everything Yogurt taught them that food brings people together, that kindness is good business, and that success means more when it lifts others with you.
From there, the work only grew—thoughtful development, community spaces like much of South Avenue in Bloomfield, and now, upgrades to the very hospitals that care for us. In a borough where planning has often felt like an afterthought, they’ve been a steady exception—something I benefited from recently, without asking and purely by chance.
The food court at the Staten Island Mall features an Everything Yogurt, started by Richard Nicotra, in 1985.(Advance/SILive.com | Steve Zaffarano)
And look how far they’ve come. I can imagine someone telling them, back in those Everything Yogurt days, “You two are going to be something special to Staten Island.” And now, all these years later, they’ve changed the face of this borough.
Seeing their names at RUMC was a reminder of how much good they’ve done—not only through buildings, scholarships, or businesses, but in the way they consistently show up for people. It underscored something simple: we shouldn’t wait until the end of a story to acknowledge the people who make a community stronger. Gratitude belongs in the middle of the story, while people can still hear it.
Lois and Richard Nicotra have spent decades shaping Staten Island through philanthropy, hospitality, and community investment, channeling millions back into the borough through the Nicotra Foundation. Their developments—from the Hilton Garden Inn and Corporate Commons to the Commons Café, which donates its profits to charity—have created jobs, gathering spaces, and a culture of giving that reaches far beyond their properties.
Late last year, they partnered with ReThink Food to launch “Dinner Is On Me!” Through a generous grant and the work of their social‑enterprise eatery, Pienza Brick Oven Pizza Café, they’re providing family‑style meals for every student at The Young Women’s Leadership School—171 meals per day, delivered twice in November. Students even design cards to accompany each meal, small messages that travel home with the food.
Then came something even bigger.
I am told that the Nicotras have made the single largest gift in RUMC’s history—an amount that will remain confidential—to renovate the hospital’s main lobby. When complete, it will become the Lois and Richard Nicotra Welcome Center, a bright, welcoming space for patients and families. In true Nicotra fashion, they’re not just funding it; they’re lending their time and expertise. They also made the largest philanthropic gift in Staten Island University Hospital’s history, funding a major renovation and expansion of its cardiac services. Their donation created The Lois & Richard Nicotra Heart Institute, a modernized center for advanced heart care with upgraded patient areas, improved technology, and a welcoming environment shaped with their design sensibility.
Additionally, after reading an Advance/SILive.com article about the needs at Faith United, Lois and Richard Nicotra were so moved that they decided to make another gift—beyond the chairs and tables they donated this summer. They arranged for a three‑door, restaurant‑grade reach-in refrigerator for the church’s food pantry, working with their vendors to deliver whatever best fits the space. Their note also thanked the Advance/SILive.com for its coverage, which helped connect the community in meaningful ways, and applauded ReThink Food for its partnership with Faith United. And, in true Nicotra fashion, they ended with the sentiment that guides so much of what they do: We love Staten Island.
Gratitude should be real. Sometimes you have to wait for the moment that finds you. Mine came at RUMC—nurses moving, machines beeping, time stretching—and then a name, a gesture, something small that steadies you and reminds you who shows up.