Chappaqua Train Station Café Owners to Sell Operation
Another establishment will take over food service operation at the train station facility after the owners of Chappaqua Station have decided to sell their business.
The New Castle Town Board last week approved Bobo’s Café taking over the remaining six years on Chappaqua Station’s 10-year lease and granted an extension until June 2029. No date was provided for when Bobo’s Café, which will also continue to operate at its Somers location, will move into the more than century-old town-owned train station building.
It serves breakfast and bakery items as well as sandwiches, salads, smoothies and other beverages.
“I think people are really going to enjoy them,” said New Castle Supervisor Robert Greenstein.
Chappaqua Station is currently paying $3,606 a month in rent for the space, according to the town administrator’s office. Greenstein said Bobo’s Café will initially pay the same rent with a 3 percent annual escalation. After the sixth year of its lease, there will be a 10 percent increase. A five-year option beyond the initial 10 years is also available, he said.
Bobo’s Café co-owner Glen Bernardi declined to comment last Wednesday about the likelihood of moving into the Chappaqua train station because he said the lease had not yet been signed.
The abrupt change was made necessary because Erin Chase, who opened the café about four years ago with her husband Peter, faces a health issue. Peter Chase said his wife underwent surgery last week for breast cancer and they made a decision that she will concentrate on her health and their two children.
Chase, a longtime restaurant and hospitality professional, said the plan had been for Erin to continue overseeing Chappaqua Station while he looked after their consultancy business. They and their family live in Chappaqua.
“We wanted to make sure that the focus is on Erin’s health and our children at this point in time and that’s what we have to do, so let’s do right by the community and make sure we find a new operator that can come in and continue forward in a positive way for the town,” Chase said.
Recently, they engaged a broker to begin the process of selling the business, he said. However, it is unclear when Bobo’s Café will move in. Chase said the sale hasn’t been completed.
He said if their successor doesn’t make any significant changes to the current space, then the switch can be made within a couple of months. Otherwise, it can take significantly longer.
They also want the new operator to use the personnel that they have in place at Chappaqua Station.
As much as he and his wife have enjoyed operating the cafe, Chase said they didn’t have a choice given the circumstances.
“You don’t create something like this and put in all the time and effort and passion and blood and sweat in the last four years to hand it off to somebody else,” Chase said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
