CWD Real Estate Investment adds 1747 Plainfield Ave
CWD Real Estate Investment LLC has added 1747 Plainfield Ave. NE, home of Lucy’s Café to our portfolio of properties. CWD has partnered with Essence Restaurant Group to manage the current business and seeks to extend its long-term partnership. “CWD and Essence Restaurant Group have partnered for more than 15 years on Cherry Street so this is truly a natural extension of the pioneering work we have done together in other neighborhoods in the city,” said CWD Managing Partner, Sam Cummings. “We want to express our gratitude to the VanderKooy family for entrusting us with this opportunity to preserve what has become a neighborhood institution.”
“Lucy’s has been doing really well with its breakfast, brunch, and coffee bar concept. The building is in great shape, and the Creston area continues to gain foot and car traffic, so we were excited to add it to the Essence family of establishments,” Essence CEO and Partner James Berg says. “Lucy’s commitment to local sourcing and scratch kitchen menu is very consistent with Essence’s approach.
“We are excited to collaborate with Lucy’s team and achieve further successes.”
Lucy’s building was built and operated as Daane’s Market in 1959 by David Daane and Simon VanderKooy. In 1978, it became D’Amico’s Food Mart, which lasted for 33 years until its 2011 closure.
VanderKooy’s children Brian VanderKooy, Jan VanderKooy, and Sue Despre renovated the space and opened Brighton Graye’s Bistro and Little Lucy’s Cafe in 2016. Eventually, the Brighton Graye concept faded with Lucy’s taking over the entire space.
“My brother Brian and I have been operating Lucy’s for more than five years in addition to our real estate business, Vander Kooy Management, so we are looking to concentrate our time on what we do best,” Jan VanderKooy said. “We have confidence that Sam Cummings and CWD will maintain the building as a neighborhood asset and James Berg will take Lucy’s café to the next level.
“We are especially happy that Essence is giving our team members an opportunity to continue employment.”
