A company that was highlighted on the TV program “Shark Tank” has plans to open up shop in Port Chester. Founded by entrepreneur Jane Carroll, the company specializes in flash-frozen meals prepared from scratch that are fully cooked. Consumers take the frozen meals from the freezer, then heat and eat.
The company is planning to move into the former Wells Fargo bank building at 133 N. Main St. in Port Chester and convert to include a manufacturing kitchen and cafe. The plans also call for a retail shop and podcast studio to be incorporated into the building.
Jane Foodies currently is selling its food products online and advertises ready-to-heat-and-eat foods such as BBQ chicken, honey grilled chicken, Italian sausage baked ziti, and tomato parmesan risotto stuffed peppers. The company also features pizza dough, breads, and desserts. It highlights its products as being made without artificial preservatives and as being healthy options that are convenient to buy and use.
The Port Chester Planning Commission has approved the site plan for the project along with a Special Exception Permit. Attorney David Cooper of the White Plains-based law firm Zarin & Steinmetz represented applicant 133 Main St. Owner LLC in seeking the approvals.
“The applicant is in contract to lease the building to Jane Foodie, a rising star entrepreneurial business … focused on providing premium, from scratch, preservative free parbaked goods and precooked dishes,” Cooper said. “Jane Foodie is looking to adaptively reuse the bank by adding a kitchen/flash freezing space for direct to consumer food preparation and packaging, as well as an accessory café for walk in service.”
The site is a 0.35-acre lot. The two-story building has 4,910 square feet on the ground floor and 1,310 square feet on the mezzanine level. The building also includes a 5,624 square feet basement.
“The building’s former layout as a bank provides a unique and flexible floor plan for Jane Foodie to bring its unique business model to downtown Port Chester,” Cooper said.
He described the former bank offices and conference room on the first floor as being repurposed to include a kitchen that would be open for viewing by the public. The café area would be located on the bank floor and would include 12 seats in a casual living room design. Glass double door merchandising freezers throughout the space will allow customers to view items and “grab and go.” He said the café would be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Customers of the café would be able to sample new and seasonal recipes, allowing Jane Foodie to attain valuable feedback for its products before going into full production,” Copper said.
The mezzanine level would be used as office space and conference room for employees. The podcast studio for producing content for social media also would be locate on the mezzanine. Cooper noted that the bank had a drive-thru area and that 12 parking spaces would be provided.
“The adaptive reuse of a shuttered bank building on North Main Street would foster the future growth of the village’s downtown by letting an entrepreneurial business ‘take root’ in the village, while also attracting interest and patronage through a unique café experience,” Cooper said. “These attributes of the business will also foster social and economic stability, as well as encourage private enterprise and commercial investment in the village.”
