15 Spring St. in Princeton — Courtesy: Mercer Oak Realty
By Joshua Burd
A vegan restaurant has opened its doors in downtown Princeton, following a transaction arranged by Mercer Oak Realty.
According to Princeton Property Partners, the landlord and an affiliate of the brokerage firm, Planted Plate occupies 2,221 square feet at 15 Spring St. It is the first vegan restaurant to open in Princeton and has been enjoying robust demand in its first month in operation, the firm said.
“With the university population, Princeton is an ideal location for our business to thrive,” owner and chef Omer Basatemur said. “We have a dining-in as well as pick-up and delivery service.”
Princeton Property Partners has owned 15 Spring St. since 2011.
“Omer is a first-class operator and owner,” said Aubrey Haines, managing partner of Princeton Property Partners. “This is his third store and he knows this business and how to succeed. We are very excited to have Planted Plate as a tenant in our Princeton portfolio.”
Mercer Oak President Sab Russo noted that 15 Spring is now fully leased, adding: “We enjoyed working with Omer to complete the lease negotiations for this full-floor tenant. The second floor, meantime, has been home to engineering company Stonefield Design since 2017.
Planted Plate has taken occupancy after a fit-out that “was not extensive but it was technically challenging,” according to Spencer Page, chief operating officer of Princeton Property Management.
“Work included installing a kitchen, with a hood and all cooking and refrigeration appliances into a space that was previously a spice shop,” he said. “With grit and determination, we were able to help Omer get the work completed.”