Coming from the kitchen of Cosmo’s Ristorante and Delicatessen are two distinct elements that truly add to the place’s charm: one is of course the amazing smells of the Mediterranean food being prepared in the kitchen for both the restaurant and delicatessen counter, and the other is the country music playing over the speakers. “We didn’t always listen to country,” says owners Shelly Lewis and Christina Balazs. “But with so much stress in the world right now, we all started just enjoying the all-American music that everyone can sing along with!”

Obviously, much of that stress comes from the pandemic, and Cosmo’s had to shut down the dining room and move to take-out only orders. “We have less than half of our staff from before COVID hit, and our business is down around 40%,” says Lewis. “We seem to be holding our own, but we will be eternally grateful when we can open 100% and hire more folks back,” adds Balazs.

As a duo who knows how important food is, both Lewis and Balazs were excited to collaborate with Columbia Bank and join in on the Pass It On Project to help provide meals for people in need in the local community. “We are passing it on by working with the local Meals on Wheels program to make sure they have enough food to serve their clients,” says Lewis and Balazs. “We are providing resources for their frozen food program, and with Columbia Bank paying the tab, we will help them feed many people who need it most.”