Investors team up with pastry chef and chocolatier for planned Wynwood market

A new high-end market with a restaurant, bean-to-bar chocolate station, patisserie and cocktail bar is coming to Wynwood.

Ananda Market, led by partners Antonio Ortega and Piero Pini, signed a 10-year lease for nearly 12,500 square feet at 310 Northwest 25th Street, The Real Deal has learned.

Forte Capital Management, led by Chaim Cahane and Dov Tepper, and Jon Krasner’s 7G Realty recently paid $11.8 million for the retail property at 310-318 Northwest 25th Street. They acquired it from East End Capital. Existing tenants include Barcelona Wine Bar and Grace Loves Lace, an Australian wedding dress store.

The market and restaurant will be led by chocolatier and pastry chef Jorge Kauam, Ortega said. Construction is slated to begin in about six to seven months, and the concept could open in about 10 months. Ananda will sell pastries, elaborate chocolates, breads, cocktails, and organic and sustainable food products. At night it will also function as an event space.

Dotagui, a Los Angeles-based architecture and urban design firm, is designing Ananda.

Ortega said he and his partner invested about $5 million into the Wynwood project.

Metro 1’s Andres Nava, Hector Antunez and Bernardita Banfi represented the tenant in the lease, which brought the property to fully leased. Asking rent was $75 per square foot, triple net, according to marketing materials. Cahane represented himself and his partners.

“We were set on Wynwood just because we believe the area matched perfectly with what we want to do in terms of design, art and music,” Ortega said. “There is definitely nothing else like it in the area. It’s going to be something crazy.”