The Crust, Pita Pit and Subway Café coming to Tribe Square
Students and members of the community looking for late-night dining options near the William & Mary campus will have several more establishments to choose from come the fall semester.
The William & Mary Real Estate Foundation announced today that three businesses – The Crust, Pita Pit and Subway Café – have signed leases to open this fall in Tribe Square. The foundation is negotiating a lease agreement with one more new business locating in Tribe Square, a soon-to-be completed mixed-use building located on Richmond Road directly across from campus, said Nancy Buchanan, executive director of the William & Mary Real Estate Foundation.
“We are thrilled to offer these new dining options to members of the campus and local communities,” Buchanan said. “This building is a beautiful addition to the local landscape and these three businesses fit perfectly with this new era of student housing and student retail near campus.”
The Crust is a new
restaurant concept developed by Baker’s Crust. It is centered around a
wood-fired oven and artisan breads, creating a menu that includes everything
from authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and wood-fired grinders to fresh
salads and hand spun crepes. A full bar along with a wide variety of micro
brews and drafts will also be available, Buchanan said.
Subway Café will be designed to give off a more relaxed feel, complete with brick or wood-paneled walls, she said. It will leverage the chain’s partnership with Seattle’s Best to embrace more of a coffeehouse ambiance, Buchanan added. The restaurant will still offer the same sandwiches as a regular Subway but customers will also be able to choose from a number of baked goods, dessert items and a full line of espresso-based items.
The Pita Pit, which offers pita-bread sandwiches, soups and salads, is described as a healthy alternative to traditional fast food, Buchanan said. Under the slogan “Fresh Thinking. Healthy Eating,” the restaurant serves all of their sandwiches in Lebanese-style pocket pitas with vegan, vegetarian and traditional options. The Pita Pit will also be offering self-serve frozen yogurt, she said.
Both The Crust and Pita Pit will face Richmond Road and will have large outdoor cafes for al fresco dining on their own private terraces. For years, Buchanan noted, William & Mary students have asked for more places to eat within walking distance after 9 p.m. As part of the lease agreement, she added, the eateries will remain open until at least 1 a.m.
“We expect they will be very popular with the student body,” she said.
Tribe Square includes four retail spaces on the first floor and apartment-style student residences on the second and third floor with 14 apartments. The project is on schedule, and the retail section of the development is ready for tenant build-out this week (July 25th). The residential section, which was the quickest student housing option to sell out for the upcoming school year, is on schedule and will open to students in August. The 56-bed facility will be completely filled when college students return in the fall.
The Real Estate Foundation is working with brokers Mike Mausteller and Matt Leffler of Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate in leasing the Tribe Square retail space, Buchanan said. The storefronts will open to the public when the business owners complete their construction, which is expected to be in the September through October timeframe. The name of that fourth business will be announced as soon as the final lease is signed, Buchanan said.
