The 5,000-square-foot bakery will include a café for lunch and a space for cooking classes. “That makes it a destination that will pull from East and West Ventura County and perhaps even L.A.,” says Engel-Shields. “We would love to see more unique concepts come to the center.” The property still has a 10,000-square-foot space that was originally part of the Fresh and Easy box, as well as a handful of small inline spaces available. In looking for new tenants, the landlord is hoping to find similar destination retailers that will help drive traffic. “It really shows that the landlord is imaginative and progressive in how he envisions the merchandising of the center,” adds Engel-Shields. “This sets a higher standard, and we want the center to have good synergy.”

Both White and Engel-Shields hope that the expanded bakery will serve as a catalyst for the retail market, and bring in other destination retailers. “Carrara is a celebrity nationally and he certainly is in the Moorpark area. He has an almost cult-like following in Moorpark, and I think the landlord saw this as a tenant that would drive traffic to the center,” says White. “Hopefully, other potential tenants will see value of being in the same center.”

Engel-Shields adds this lease was a real success for the market, and creates an opportunity to develop a more active retail market that can service residents. “Moorpark is not as densely populated as Conejo Valley, Simi Valley or Oxnard,” she says. It saw significant growth in the early 2000s, and was affected by the recession. We have some work ahead of us, but what is great about this is that we were able to relocate a tenant from an industrial space into a beautiful retail center.”

“The city would like residents to stay and eat and shop in Moorpark, rather than take their money out of town,” Bram White, an EVP at DAUM Commercial Real Estate Services, tells GlobeSt.com. White recently negotiated a new and expanded lease for Carrara Bakery, a boutique eatery concept from celebrity chef Damiano Carrara, at Tuscany Square in Moorpark, and he is hopeful that the lease will help attract other destination restaurant and food service tenants to the market.

Carrara Bakery signed a 5,000-square-foot lease in a space that was formerly occupied by a Fresh & Easy market. Originally the landlord, Milan Capital Management, wanted another grocer for the space. As we were targeting the typical grocers, we were approached by Bram [White] and saw an opportunity to bring a new dynamic to the shopping center,” Lisa Engel-Shields of Radius Group/Hagelis Retail Advisors, who represented the landlord in the deal, tells GlobeSt.com. “With the new retail climate, we though that Carrara would offer a lot to the owner, in regards to having a unique tenant, but also to the community.”

The 5,000-square-foot bakery will include a café for lunch and a space for cooking classes. “That makes it a destination that will pull from East and West Ventura County and perhaps even L.A.,” says Engel-Shields. “We would love to see more unique concepts come to the center.” The property still has a 10,000-square-foot space that was originally part of the Fresh and Easy box, as well as a handful of small inline spaces available. In looking for new tenants, the landlord is hoping to find similar destination retailers that will help drive traffic. “It really shows that the landlord is imaginative and progressive in how he envisions the merchandising of the center,” adds Engel-Shields. “This sets a higher standard, and we want the center to have good synergy.”

Both White and Engel-Shields hope that the expanded bakery will serve as a catalyst for the retail market, and bring in other destination retailers. “Carrara is a celebrity nationally and he certainly is in the Moorpark area. He has an almost cult-like following in Moorpark, and I think the landlord saw this as a tenant that would drive traffic to the center,” says White. “Hopefully, other potential tenants will see value of being in the same center.”

Engel-Shields adds this lease was a real success for the market, and creates an opportunity to develop a more active retail market that can service residents. “Moorpark is not as densely populated as Conejo Valley, Simi Valley or Oxnard,” she says. It saw significant growth in the early 2000s, and was affected by the recession. We have some work ahead of us, but what is great about this is that we were able to relocate a tenant from an industrial space into a beautiful retail center.”