Chef Peg Botto, who grew up in Norristown, runs Cosmic Café, the only eatery on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, with her husband, Jerome, writes Kevin Riordan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The café is an extension of their catering business, Cosmic Catering, which opened in 2000. It serves healthy food and helps sustain local farmers and purveyors, as well as providing job training for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Cosmic Café opened in 2011, under a concession arrangement with the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation. It is located within (and outside of) the Lloyd Hall recreation facility. Its patio and roof deck attracts runners, rowers, cyclists, dog walkers, and tourists seeking a laid-back atmosphere.

Botto and her crew “treat everyone who comes in as an individual,” said rower Judy Kaplow, a café regular. “They’re interested in your story. You feel part of the community.”

Botto has a staff of 25, which includes 18 people with developmental or intellectual disabilities.

“My son has special needs, so I appreciate Peg’s mission,” said Darlene Martin, café office manager. “Working here really works in my life.”

Read more about Peg Botto in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Drone footage of beautiful Boathouse Row.