St. Paul Eatery Owner Dave Cossetta Dies in Italy

Dave Cossetta, the proprietor of the iconic St. Paul eatery that bears his family name, died in Rome.

He was in Italy to celebrate his recent success at the Panettone World Cup in Milan, FOX 9 reported.

The death marks the end of a tenure that transformed a modest family grocery store into a cornerstone of the St. Paul dining scene. According to his longtime friend and fellow restaurateur Pat Mancini, Cossetta collapsed in his hotel room from an apparent heart attack just hours after photographing the Vatican.

Scramble: Dave Cossetta, owner of longtime St. Paul restaurant dies unexpectedly in Rome — Garage Logic

“Sad day, very sad day,” Mancini told FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. “For me, he was my best friend. I’ve known him for 50 years. I lost not only a dear friend, fellow restaurateur, a mentor, somebody who I just enjoyed being around.”

While the Cossetta name is synonymous with Italian cuisine in Minnesota, his influence extended well beyond the restaurant’s dining room. Mancini said that Cossetta co-founded Serving Our Troops, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing and delivering meals to U.S. service members deployed in regions such as Iraq and Kuwait.

Cossetta’s owner Dave Cossetta dies unexpectedly in Rome — WCCO – CBS Minnesota

“He loved doing that and he was good at it,” Mancini said. Following the news of his death, friends proceeded with the delivery of the panettone cakes he had prepared for the Pope, an act Mancini described as something Cossetta would have wanted.

The impact of his sudden passing resonated throughout the city’s institutions. In a statement, the City of St. Paul said that Cossetta’s establishment served as a primary gathering point for the community. “Dave made sure every one of us was welcome at his table,” the city said.

St. Paul Eatery Owner Dave Cossetta Dies in Italy

The St. Paul Police Department also issued a public acknowledgment of his death, highlighting a long-standing relationship between the department and the business. The department thanked Cossetta for his “generosity, support, and your big heart,” noting that his restaurant was a frequent stop for officers on duty.

“He’ll be missed not only in this city, he’s very important to the city. He will be missed now worldwide and his panettones will hopefully live on forever I guess,” Mancini told FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.