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CRA approves lease-to-purchase for Vegan Fine Foods at 719 North Sapodilla Avenue
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Summary
The CRA unanimously authorized Resolution 25-30 to enter a lease with purchase option for 719 North Sapodilla Avenue with Vegan Fine Foods; staff and the business outlined operational plans, community programs and the proposed financial structure.
The City of West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on June 23 approved Resolution 25-30, authorizing a commercial lease with a purchase option for 719 North Sapodilla Avenue to Vegan Fine Foods (WP no. WB VFF LLC) for use as a restaurant, eatery or food market.
Robbie Sami, economic development staff, said the CRA issued a notice of disposition for the parcel after a 2024 rehab and received Vegan Fine Foods’ letter of intent in May 2025. He said the CRA received an appraisal valuing the property at $1,300,000 and negotiated a $700,000 sale price; Vegan Fine Foods will contribute approximately $700,000 in startup costs toward build-out and equipment.
Business owner Steven Smith described Vegan Fine Foods’ history and plans. The company opened in Fort Lauderdale in March 2018 and operated an all-vegan market and prepared-foods concept. Smith said the West Palm Beach location will be branded Vegan Fine Foods Kitchen and Bar: a fast-casual, plant-based restaurant with a full-service bar, outdoor patio and retail products, plus a produce market and prepared-meal offerings. Co-founder Joseph Williams Sr. outlined planned community benefits, including educational events for children and seniors, cooking classes, internship and employment opportunities, fresh-produce markets and partnerships with local groups and neighborhood programs.
Sami described the proposed economics: based on the tenant’s business plan, a five-year average profit of about $160,000 would imply a target rent of roughly $56,000 per year (about $4,667 per month). The lease term will be no longer than 12 years with no automatic renewal; the tenant may exercise a purchase option at or before year 10 at the negotiated purchase price of $700,000. Staff said rent payments would be credited toward the purchase price if the tenant exercises the option. The tenant will be responsible for utilities, taxes and insurance; CRA staff said equipment purchased for build-out would be inventoried and would remain with the building in the event of a default.
Sami told the board the project is expected to create about 25 positions within five years; he calculated an economic impact figure that included wages and the building sale. The board discussed affordability, operations and neighborhood connections. Commissioner Ward and others urged the owners to coordinate with existing neighborhood programs (food pantry, community gardens and culinary training) and flagged that access to a commercial kitchen can be an inhibitor for community-market partnerships. Gina Baker, senior project manager for the Historic Northwest, said 719 North Sapodilla will function as neighborhood commercial with on-site parking (about eight spaces) and available on-street parking along Sapodilla and Seventh Street.
Commissioner Fox moved approval of Resolution 25-30; the motion was seconded (speaker who seconded not identified in the transcript). The motion carried unanimously. The CRA congratulated the owners and encouraged partnership with local programs such as the West Palm Beach Center for Arts and Technology.
Board members asked staff to monitor the lease-to-purchase timeline and to confirm details of the equipment inventory and how startup investments would be handled if the tenant did not exercise the purchase option.
