Company description
For quite a few years, we have been admiring a small, beautifully proportioned 1828 brick building on Chelsea Main Street. The building was the original home to the second-oldest bank in Vermont. Around the turn of the last century, the bank moved to a bigger building across the green. The small brick building became a millinery shop, a barbershop, then a printing press, and eventually a restaurant.
The building was in rough shape, but the bones were good. We began a complete renovation in the fall of 2021 restoring the main brick portion of the building as closely as possible to its original state. All new plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems have been installed.
By spring 2023, the old Orange County Bank space will be set up for a 48-seat restaurant with a second-floor studio apartment ready for a chef to open their own restaurant.
business description
Newly renovated restaurant space in historic 1828 centrally located building in Chelsea, Vermont. Ideal for a moderately priced café offering good, interesting, and local fare. The area around Chelsea and the surrounding towns has no other restaurant. A 2019 study for a potential cooperative supermarket noted that 16,368 people live within a 12-20 minute drive of downtown. Vermont has added population since the pandemic, so the current number is likely higher. The building is available for rent, purchase, or a rent-to-own arrangement, on favorable terms, as we want to help the café succeed.
The building also has a second-floor studio apartment, and an extensive second floor space for dry storage. As of May 1, renovations are almost complete. The building has been renovated to a high standard, with tight insulation, a new 11-foot exhaust hood, a highly efficient HVAC system, and all new kitchen appliances.
Restoration of the old bank makes a beautiful and functional 48-seat restaurant, ideally serving locally sourced and reasonably priced food. But equally important is to provide Chelsea a place to gather, eat, chat, possibly listen to music. Our ideal would be to find someone, or a pair of someones, who are committed to the town and the area, and would like to establish their own restaurant in the space.
Sale type
seeking co-owner or business partner
Price
Negotiable
Contact instructions
This job expired on June 25, 2023
Deadline
no deadline