HELP SECRET SPOT REBUILD FOR THE SUMMER OF 2024

HERE'S AN UPDATE From Jon and Sarah Gozzo

2/24/24 - A quick update

First, we would like to say our sincerest thank you to everyone that has contributed to our GoFundMe. We are honored and humbled by your support!

It’s been arduous and we’d like to show some transparency.

We are still resolving our insurance claim and hope to have that closed shortly. It’s been a grueling process and it’s sickening to say that it will not come out even. In fact, the amount recovered by insurance will only equate to 2/3 of what we actually lost!

Our GoFundMe goal of $35,000 is a lot to ask for but it’s only a fraction of that 1/3 we will never recover. We are close to halfway to our goal and need to rally to reach it!

The new shop will be awesome! We are excited for this summer but we still have a lot to do! With your help we will get there faster:) Thank YOU!

Jon and Sarah Gozzo

Hello,

My name is Ralph Fatello, I live here on the Seacoast of New Hampshire, and I am a surfer/photographer/blogger. I write a weekly Blog called RALPH’S PIC OF THE WEEK. www.ralphspic.com

I’ve known Jon Gozzo for over 20 years. We have surfed together, and have shared a common bond with pointing dogs. But more importantly, I’ve watched Jon establish himself and his family here on the seacoast, and become and important part of this great community. I was there when he met and fell in love with Sarah. I was there when he became a father of his beautiful twin girls; Maeve and Lyona.

And I was there, when he first launched SECRET SPOT on High Street in Hampton. He’s been on my weekly Blog every week since day one.

Back in August of 2022, the seacoast community suffered a major loss when we lost, CINNAMON RAINBOWS, The NORTH BEACH Bar & Grille, and SECRET SPOT due to a devastating fire. Jon and Sarah lost everything. I mean everything. It was a gut wrenching loss for their family. I started a Go Fund Me page for CINNAMON RAINBOWS (which was quite successful thanks to all of you who donated.) At that same time, I asked Jon if we could do the same for SECRET SPOT. They were not ready at the time due to a number of legitimate reasons to ask for help.

But, recently that has all changed, as they have signed a new lease to open a new shop just a few yards from their old place. Right on High Street in Hampton. I know I’m not alone, when I say how great it was to have SECRET SPOT on the beach. After surfing, or hanging out on the beach, SECRET SPOT was the Go To Place for the BEST wraps, Acai’ bowls, and smoothies around. I’m very excited to have them coming back in 2024. It will be like old times again. And I beyond stoked to hear this news.

This is the season of giving. And I truly hope, that you will join me in helping SECRET SPOT get back on their feet, and provide the seacoast community with the best and healthiest food on the coast. Please donate whatever you can. Every donation helps. Look at what we did for CINNAMON RAINBOWS. Let's do the same for SECRET SPOT.

Surfing Heals All Wounds (and so does an Acai’ bowl at Secret Spot).

Ralph

P.S. Here’s a letter from Sarah and Jon Gozzo.

Dear Ralph and loving Seacoast community,

You’ve been asking and we’ve been waiting and now it’s finally time to rebuild the Secret Spot! It’s difficult for us to ask but we need your help!

On August 19, 2022 a fire infiltrated our restaurant through the ceiling rafters and completely consumed our Secret Spot, obliterating everything inside. In a matter of hours, everything we had worked for, built from the ground up, our family business of 15 years was a total loss. Fortunately no one was hurt but our family was grief stricken and our community was devastated. At that time we did not start a GoFundMe because we wanted to focus efforts on helping our friends at Cinnamon Rainbows get into a clean space asap. We are so happy they were able to find a perfect temporary home!

Finally, we are happy to announce that we’ve found a new spot but it needs a ton of work! The small building at 560 High Street, to the west of where Secret Spot once was, will be our new home for a few years:) We (Jon and Sarah) plan to do much of the work along with friends, family and community members. Of course our 10yr twins Maeve and Lyona will help too!

The physical labor poses a real issue with Jon’s declining health. Jon’s health issues have been kept private but if you’ve known The Gozzo’s for a while, you know we live cautiously. Jon was diagnosed with SLL, CVID and GLILD many years ago which is how he came to be the first to bring Acaí to New England, for its health benefits. In order for Jon to live, he must do weekly plasma infusions, take daily antibiotics and antivirals and avoid germs in general as the common cold could cause hospitalization. The Gozzo family does our best to normalize this for our children but it’s been exceedingly stressful and difficult after the loss of our family business. If you see the twins, they are always happy to get extra hugs:)

Looking forward! The Gozzo family feels a new sense of hope for the future! Finding the space so close to the old space, near Hampton’s iconic corner, in the same beach community that we love so dearly, is our dream realized. Even though we have high hopes for a rebuild in the original space, the plan is to be OPEN Spring 2024 at 560 High Street, in Hampton, NH and we can all finally get acaí to the face!

We need to raise $35,000 to go directly toward the buildout and necessary equipment. All help is welcome! Thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world to our family and our beach community!

With Love,

Sarah Gozzo

(Jon, Lyona and Maeve)