Francis Ford Coppola bought the building in 1972 to be the headquarters for his production company, American Zoetrope. A number of his films including the Godfather II and III, Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, One From The Heart, The Outsiders, and Dracula were written, edited, or sound mixed within these walls.
Cafe Zoetrope, opened in 1999, was created with much thought from Coppola. Many of the items on the menu are his own recipes and the European ambience is something he cultivated. The Cafe functions as a wine bar and a restaurant in the style of a Roman Trattoria.