It’s been only a year and a half since bakery owner Takeo Sakan reopened Japonaise Bakery & Cafe, after sinking over two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars into a renovation .
Now his landlord, who also owns the space housing The Wine Press next door, is making plans which could mean the popular bakery has to relocate again. The building’s owner wants to add a second story and make changes to the facade according to plans submitted Friday to the Building Department.
“To be honest, it was all kind of sudden,” Sakan said. “He hadn’t told me until a few months ago.”
Bob Allen, an attorney representing the owner and developer, 1020-1024 Beacon Realty Trust, which lists Sean Galvin as its trustee, said the Wine Press is moving down the street.
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Allen initially told Brookline.News in an email that the landlord is working with Sakan, hoping the bakery can move into the spot vacated by the liquor store “temporarily during construction.”
“And then hopefully they move back over,” Allen wrote in the Feb. 28 email. “Business terms have yet to be finalized, but that is the intention.”
In a later interview, Allen said the landlord has no preference whether the bakery stays in its location or moves next door during construction.
“The goal is to work with the bakery so that he stays there, both short-term and long-term,” Allen said in an interview Tuesday. “That’s the way I see it.”
In an email, Allen said it’s too early to give an estimate on how long construction might take, as the project needs approval from the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
Sakan said the landlord told him about his plans for renovating the space next door, but that he didn’t initially know the landlord wanted the bakery to move there during construction.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t have put so much money into the building,” Sakan said. “I put a lot of work in myself. Not looking forward to doing that again.”
The popular bakery on Beacon Street serves Japanese and French pastries and snacks, with a menu ranging from onigiri and milk bread to sandwiches, croissants and cakes. It is well-known for making buns in the shape of Japanese characters, such as the cat-like Totoro from animated film “My Neighbor Totoro” and the cartoon superhero Anpanman.
Pastries on display at Japonaise Bakery & Cafe. Photo by Claire Law
The bakery closed in May 2021 for renovations and reopened in July 2023 with new flooring, ceilings, lighting, display cases and custom countertops.
Sakan, who raised nearly $41,000 on GoFundMe for the renovations, said he continued to pay rent for the two years the bakery was closed. He recently recouped the money back through sales, he said.
“I’m lucky my business is good, and we have a strong following,” Sakan said.
The building owner plans to add six apartments to the second floor and make “extensive interior renovations” to the retail spaces including building proper restrooms, according to construction plans, which Allen sent to Brookline.News. The plans also propose to landscape the asphalt parking lot behind the stores and finish the basement under the two stores.
Sakan said he’s not sure yet what the next step is for the bakery. He said he worries the landlord will charge him rent for the basement space after the renovations.
“I’m at his mercy, really,” Sakan said. “That’s how all tenants are.”
Sakan’s ultimate goal is to one day buy a building to build a big kitchen and storefront.
The Wine Press, located at 1022-1024 Beacon St., plans to move to a smaller location at 1050 Beacon St. by April, said owner Aaron Mehta. Mehta said he has a good relationship with his current landlord.
“It was really a coin flip about what was the best opportunity for us,” he said.
The turnover rate in that stretch of Beacon Street also played a factor in the decision to move, Mehta said, citing the closure of a Whole Foods Market in 2022. An H Mart opened at the location in 2023.
“Business on that block has been really difficult for the past four to five years,” Mehta said. “Any time a Whole Foods decides to leave, it’s a monumental event.”
Sakan said he loves the location.
“I’d love to stay in Brookline,” Sakan said. “You can’t really beat the location with all the kids around. But there’s other good locations too.”
This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.