Torpedo Factory May Host New Cafe

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A new cafe may open its doors soon at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria. The Alexandria City Council is scheduled on Wednesday to consider leasing vacant space in the arts center to Sweetbake Inc., according to city documents.

The first-floor café space, totaling 268 square feet, previously was occupied by Baba’s Cooking School, but the school ended its lease in February "because its income did not support its operation," City Manager Mark Jinks said in a statement to the council.

A previous tenant, Bread & Chocolate, ended its lease claiming a similar hardship. The annual rent for the space was about $4,140, say city documents.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center, on the Old Town waterfront at the end of King Street, is managed by the city and hosts artist studios, galleries, events and classes. The cafe would serve the steady stream of visitors to the center. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

After asking the business community for proposals, the city staff recommended Sweetbake Inc. for a 15-month lease to operate a cafe serving coffee, pastries, sandwiches, soups and other refreshments, according to Jinks. The City Council is scheduled to consider the lease proposal Wednesday evening during its regular public hearing at City Hall.

The lease would run for 15 months, through Sept. 30, 2019, coinciding with the leases of other Torpedo Factory tenants. The payments would total about $5,175. Unlike previous tenants, the café will operate seven days per week, according to city documents, and the city will monitor its profitability.

Image: City of Alexandria