It's a fact, what artist, designer, engineer or architect struck by a brilliant idea hasn't sketched and doodled on the nearest piece of paper - in many cases, a napkin or the back of a menu. It seems that all-consuming inspiration and food consumption have a direct correlation. Perhaps personal muses frolic best in a relaxing atmosphere fueled by the perfect cup of coffee or a great meal. At least that's what inspired Phil Gavosto and Keith Striga, architects of the Nassau County 9/11 Memorial Project, to create their winning design for the Eisenhower Park site.

It all started on the back of a napkin at Panera Bread in Carle Place. Once that first spark of an idea rose out of the napkin, the two continued to meet there for repeated brainstorming sessions. When they returned, however, the concept flowed on to a computer drawing board as they sat and conferred in a comfortable corner of the bakery cafe. They went back and forth from the studio to Panera. The ideas simply crystallized.

During the course of several weeks, Striga GA, as the architectural design team is known, finalized the plans and submitted their animation of what was to become the county's chosen design. "It will provide the people with a place to remember and a place to reflect on the lives of the 340 Nassau residents lost on 9/11," Striga said.

A photo of the memorial design hangs on the wall of Panera where Gavosto and Striga first got their inspiration.

Construction of the memorial is being funded in large part by private dollars and is a labor of love for the dozens of union workers who have volunteered their evenings and weekends. Work is expected to continue through September 2012, the project's anticipated completion date. Panera Bread has been making it a little easier for these volunteers to come down to the site at 5 a.m. on Saturday mornings by faithfully providing free bagels, muffins and coffee week after week.

"When Phil approached me with the idea of sending breakfast to his crew one day, without hesitation I said: 'How much do you need?' The Carle Place Panera has been providing breakfast for the workers on a regular basis ever since," Jack Matarazzo, area director for the Long Island bakery cafes, said.

"Part of our corporate mission statement is a pledge to become an integral part of the communities in which we operate," Greg George, director of operations for Panera on Long Island, added. "But this was not just another opportunity to show our support for the community, this particularly hit home for me. I worked for 11 years at the Twin Towers, in fact, up until June of 2001. It's a tragedy which has unfortunately touched many Long Islanders."

When speaking about the Nassau County 9/11 Memorial, its co-designer Gavosto refers to it as the "People's Memorial." "It's being built by the people for the people," he said. "The union workers who have volunteered to help construct this memorial have really stepped up to the plate. Many come to the site right after working their regular jobs and some even cut their vacations short to help out. It's a project built with a lot of heart."

To learn more about the design for Nassau County's 9/11 Memorial, visit www.strigaGA.com.