New Bakery Aims to Take over Café Vanille Space

As Café Vanille prepares to close its location of the past 15 years at 70 Charles St., another local bakery is already moving forward with plans to take over the storefront.

Tatte Bakery and Café, which began as a farmer’s market in 2007 and has since spawned four brick-and-mortar locations in Brookline and Cambridge, intends to offer a “full savory menu,” including the bakery’s signature cookies, tarts and pastries, at its proposed Beacon Hill store, owner Tzurit Or said.

The hours of operation would be 7 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. daily, Or said, with indoor seating available for 36 patrons and café seating for 16 on the enclosed patio.

The Beacon Hill Civic Association Zoning and Licensing Committee voted on Wednesday not to oppose Or’s request for the necessary zoning relief and variances, if she enters into a standard “good neighbor” agreement, including a stipulation of no trash pick-up before 6 a.m.

Or told the committee that no cooking or baking would take place on the premises, but the store would receive deliveries twice each day at around 6:30 and 11 a.m.

While Or said she has yet to confirm hearing dates with the city’s Licensing Board and Board of Appeals to review her application, she anticipates opening in late August or early September, following four or five weeks of construction.

Mike Brucklier, Tatte’s chief operation officer, said the company intends to recruit an experienced employee to manage its new store.

“When we open, the goal is also to bring in our best staff members for the first four to six weeks to assure that operations run as smoothly as possible,” Brucklier added.

Landlord Paul Elias told the committee that Café Vanille’s lease had expired at the end of May, and since then, the tenant has continued to rent the space at a discounted rate on a short-term basis.   Café Vanille also has locations in Chestnut Hill and Duxbury, according to the company’s Web site.

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