Secret Spot finds new home at North Beach in Hampton after fire: 'We needed to get back'

HAMPTON — The Secret Spot has found its way back to Hampton’s North Beach area, moving into the building just west of its old location on High Street.

The Gozzo family still needs to acquire a change of use permit from the town this December, but they have signed a lease on 560 High St. that for years was home to a convenience store and Carey and Giampa's real estate office. Their former location next to North Beach Bar and Grill was destroyed in a fire on Aug. 19, 2022.

Jon Gozzo said they still plan to be part of the future rebuild of 931 Ocean Blvd., but wanted to make sure the Secret Spot was back open in Hampton. The shop has sold acai bowls and smoothies at the beach since 2007.

“We needed to get back,” Gozzo said. “I have another shop in Durham, but the Secret Spot is my family business.”

The news on social media of the new location has come with a call for help from Gozzo’s friend Ralph Fatello, a local surfer and blogger. Fatello’s GoFundMe page “Help Secret Spot Rebuild for the Summer of 2024” has raised $8,950 as of Wednesday morning to go towards the Gozzo family’s buildout of their new space, expected to cost $35,000.

“I really hope they achieve that goal,” Fatello said. “It’s going to be a lot of work to get in there.”

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Secret Spot becomes North Beach staple

Gozzo is known in town for more than the Secret Spot. A former All-American lacrosse player at Bentley University, Gozzo previously coached the sport at Winnacunnet High School.

The first eatery he opened was Quiznos in North Hampton. He got the idea for the Secret Spot after his brother introduced him to a berry he had never heard of before – acai. It was sweet and healthy, not unlike the smoothies Gozzo already loved.

“It was like something I’d never had before,” Gozzo said.

Gozzo said he researched the Brazilian berry and decided to open a shop based around it, one that would become his passion. He recalled approaching the late Fred Schaake in 2007 about renting the vacant space at 931 Ocean Blvd, on the corner of High Street.

“He’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to tear it down soon, put condos or something like that,’” Gozzo recalled Schaake saying. “’But yeah, go for it.’”

No teardown came, however, and Gozzo said the Secret Spot became a pioneer of acai in the New England region. Now, acai is sold in shops all around the region with several in the New Hampshire Seacoast. Gozzo’s brand has grown, as well, with a second location called The Spot in Durham.

When the fire struck in 2022, it felt like Gozzo and his family had lost something 15 years in the making. The fire took place shortly after midnight and severely damaged the building that housed not just the Secret Spot but also North Beach Bar and Grill and Cinnamon Rainbows Surfing Co.

“We lost everything,” Gozzo said.

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Gozzo’s family was embraced by the community along with the other tenants in the building. When asked if he needed help through a fundraising push, Gozzo told people they had no place to move the Secret Spot and to hold off. For the next year, they waited for news of what would happen with the building that burned.

“There’s no reason to do it,” Gozzo told friends looking to fundraise at the time. “There will be a time.”

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Vacant space brings opportunity to Secret Spot

Gozzo said it was by chance his family learned the real estate office and convenience store on High Street had become vacant this fall. He said his wife was running on High Street when she saw the sign.

“She’s like, holy cow,” Gozzo said. “Then I went down there and got the number and made the phone call.”

At this point, Gozzo said he had been periodically checking in with the landlords at 931 Ocean Blvd. about their plans for rebuilding, adamant his shop would like to be part of it. With winter coming, he said he knew it was time to make a decision. He said he called the landlord, Kristen Schaake-MacKinnon, and was told the building would not be ready for the 2024 season.

Gozzo chose to move into the new space, hoping it will be temporary. When the decision was made, Gozzo said his wife encouraged him to go to Fatello, who offered to head a fundraising campaign that would help them get back on their feet.

Fatello, who has surfed and hunted over the years with Gozzo, said it was only natural to help a friend. He said Gozzo’s shop has been a fixture in the surf community and that Gozzo could use the help given his health problems.

Gozzo said he has battled various health problems for about 17 years, including an immunodeficiency and a form of cancer called small lymphocytic lymphoma.

“The truth of the matter is, they need help,” Fatello said. “When your friends need help, you step up to the plate and try to help them out.”

Gozzo said accepting that support is not easy, but he is thankful.

“It’s just so hard for me to ask for help. I feel exposed. I feel vulnerable,” Gozzo said. “I feel grateful.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Secret Spot finds new home at North Beach in Hampton after fire