DAUM Commercial Real Estate Services has directed a 10-year lease on behalf of TV Celebrity Chef Damiano Carrara and Massimiliano Carrara. The brothers are expanding their bakery, Carrara Pastries, into a new, larger location in Moorpark, California’s Tuscany Square retail center.
The bakery, which will encompass 5,000 square feet in a former Fresh & Easy location, offers authentic Italian delicacies including pastries, cakes, coffees, house-made gelato, and wine, as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner food offerings.
“Carrara Pastries is a true destination in Southern California, attracting guests from all over the region to enjoy Chef-driven, authentic Italian offerings,” says Bram White, an Executive Vice President in DAUM’s Ventura County office, who represented Carrara Pastries as the lessee in the transaction. “Chef Carrara was seeking a location with strong visibility, active ownership, and increased parking, and we identified Tuscany Square as the right fit.”
Damiano Carrara gained a local following in Moorpark and opened Carrara Pastries with brother Massimiliano in 2012, before appearing as a contestant and judge on several Food Network shows, including Spring Baking Championship, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Food Network Star.
“By relocating to Tuscany Square, we will be able to further our vision to share a customary taste of our home and culture with our neighbors in Moorpark,” Carrara says. “Moorpark is where we got our start, and our connection to the community has helped to drive our success. Thanks to this local support, we are growing rapidly, and we expect to open new Southern California locations in the near future.”
The owner of Tuscany Square, Milan Capital Management, Inc., was represented by Lisa Engel-Shields of Radius Group/Hagelis Retail Advisors in the lease transaction.
“This is an ‘out-of-the-box’ lease and a perfect example of how landlords are getting creative in the changing retail climate,” says Engel-Shields. “We see this as a fantastic opportunity to help Carrara Pastries grow and flourish in its hometown of Moorpark.”
Chris Nichelson, President of Milan Capital Management, says: “Our team recognized the value in this lease from the start. With an offering that is as much an experience as it is food, Carrara Bakery is loved in the Moorpark community, and people travel for miles for a taste of their unique offerings. This new addition will strengthen the existing tenant mix and drive new foot traffic to our center.”
Nichelson further notes that Milan Capital Management is proud to be a part of Chef Carrara’s evolving success as a rising star in the pastry world.
“We hope that the addition of this tenant helps us to attract other experience-based, artisanal retailers, who can bring something truly unique to the Moorpark marketplace,” he says.
Carrara Pastries expects to complete its move to the new location at 144 West Los Angeles Avenue in January of 2018. The bakery will be relocating from its current location at 476 West Los Angeles Avenue.
Carrara Pastries has a second location at 28914 Roadside Drive in Agoura Hills, California.
