STORRS CENTER ANNOUNCES FIRST LETTER OF INTENT AGREEMENT
Author: Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc and LeylandAlliance LLC
05/11/2009
STORRS, Conn. (May 11, 2009) - Plans for the Storrs Center development have gained momentum with the announcement that The Vanilla Bean Café has signed a letter of intent to lease space for a new restaurant in the first phase of the project. This is the first official commitment for commercial space at Storrs Center, with a number of prospective tenants being lined up to follow suit in the coming months.
Macon Toledano, Vice President of Planning and Development for master developer LeylandAlliance, states, “We are extremely pleased to have an early commitment from The Vanilla Bean Café to become an important future destination at Storrs Center. They represent exactly the restaurant profile targeted through our “casting” process. With a menu designed to please virtually everyone, they will be a welcome part of the commercial/retail tenant mix at the new Storrs Center Main Street.”
Founded in 1989, The Vanilla Bean Café is owned and operated by brothers Barry and Brian Jessurun. The restaurant is located in Pomfret, Connecticut and features an American menu with grilled items, salads, sandwiches and daily specials. It is open daily and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Jessuruns also are partners in 85 Main Street, another restaurant in Putnam, Connecticut.
Plans for Storrs Center call for a menu similar to that of The Vanilla Bean Café with emphasis on seasonal, freshly-prepared food. The design will accommodate year-round business with indoor and outdoor patio seating. Barry Jessurun states, “We’ve been aware of the Storrs Center project for a long time. We think it’s got great potential for a restaurant like the Vanilla Bean. The demographic mix of students, faculty, residents and visitors seems just right to us. We look forward to being an anchor in this exciting new community.”
Speaking for the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Executive Director Cynthia van Zelm states, “The letter of intent for The Vanilla Bean Café lease is certainly positive news for Storrs Center. They will be a welcome addition to the mix of tenants planned. We expect their new restaurant to continue the successful dining tradition they’ve established in Pomfret and Putnam.”
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