Ever dreamed of opening your own restaurant?
The road to becoming a successful restaurateur can be a daunting one, but among the first steps is finding the right location.
Over the past few years, diverse culinary options have grown in Fall River with new eateries popping up along the waterfront and across the city.
And there is still plenty of opportunity to step in and reinvigorate the local food scene, with some well-established — and iconic — food spots up for grabs.
The Greater Fall River real estate market currently has a number of familiar properties on the menu that are ripe for a fresh start with a new owner and new vision.
Ready to get cooking on that restaurant venture? Here’s a look at some eateries listed for sale in the Fall River area.
NY Fresh Bagel & Bakery, located at 248 Jefferson St. in Fall River, is seen here Monday, July 8, 2024.
They’re still churning out authentic New York style bagels on Jefferson Street, but the space that houses NY Fresh Bagel and Bakery is currently up for sale.
City restaurateur Md Shahidul Islam decided to put his bakery and deli on the market this summer after a 15-month run at 248 Jefferson St. in order to shift attention to his Indian restaurant, Monalessa’s Kitchen, which opened across the street at 756 Brayton Ave. this past March.
According to Islam, it will remain business as usual at the bagel shop until it is sold.
NY Fresh Bagel and Bakery has been listed by Keller Williams, South Watuppa for $59,900.
The real estate listing promotes the business as a “turnkey operation” that includes “everything you need to hit the ground running: Fully equipped kitchen with all major appliances and fixtures. Established systems and workflows. Experienced staff willing to stay on and support a smooth transition, including training for the new owner.”
“Whether you’re a seasoned restaurateur or a first-time business owner, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a well-established bakery with strong community presence and loyal customer base,” the real estate listing reads.
South Main Street needs some new blood to help pump life into this once-bustling area of the city.
Eateries along this stretch have struggled in recent years to keep their doors open, leaving some vacancies in prime downtown spots.
That includes 151 S. Main St., Fall River, which welcomed a Latin American restaurant into its long-vacant space for roughly a year — Origen Bar & Grill, which opened in April 2023 — before activity there ceased in mid-2024. Prior to that the space was home to SADO Asian Fusion and the former Tap House Grill.
Located next door to the Brewhouse District and Cherry and Webb building, 151 South Main can be yours for $799,000. The sale includes the first-floor restaurant space as well as office space on the upper floors.
“The possibilities and potential are only as vast as your imagination,” reads its real estate listing by Keller Williams Realty.
The listing boasts the turnkey restaurant/bar’s “desirable busy downtown location close to many businesses and the district court house,” offices on the second and third floors (up to 10) that can be leased out for almost any kind of businesses, “generating additional rental income,” as well as its proximity to “many local amenities … minutes from several highways, as well as the commuter rail.”
The Abbey Grill on Rock Street received $120,000 of Community Preservation Act funds for roof repairs in fiscal 2016.
The most unique and historic Fall River restaurant space on the market — and a recognizable part of the city’s landscape — is the Historic Abbey.
Currently an events venue, the downtown building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has seen many past lives.
It was formerly Central Congregational Church, where Fall River’s most infamous resident Lizzie Borden attended services and taught Sunday school. In 1997, it became the home of the International Institute of Culinary Arts, a cooking school, and the Abbey Grill restaurant, which operated until its abrupt closure in 2009.
The 100 Rock St. building remained vacant for years until acquired in the mid-2010s by Andrew Lombardi. By then, the building had fallen into disrepair and had to undergo emergency repairs for much of the latter half of the 2010s. Its steeple was frequently shrouded to protect pedestrians from falling bricks, which required a road detour on Rock Street.
It was previously listed by Here Realty in 2023 for $1.6 million, and is currently at an asking price of $1,499,900.
“The Historic Abbey eagerly awaits an ambitious visionary to write the next chapter of its story,” its listing reads.
In a July 2024 Facebook reel which offers a video tour of the Historic Abbey, listing agent James Luth also noted the property’s potential for residential development – pointing to the approval of 46 market-rate apartments at the former Sacred Heart Church on Linden Street in Fall River.
In addition to its ties to notable Fall River figures, the distinct Rock Street structure — constructed in 1875 of brick and Scotch granite — has also popped up in modern pop culture.
In the early 1990s, it was the setting for Aerosmith’s music video “Cryin’.”
The building that houses Nonno’s Ice Cream Shoppe, 270 Seabury St., Fall River, was put up for sale this week.
Situated just across the street from Ruggles Street, you can scoop up this former ice cream shop space for $200,000.
The Seabury Street site was most recently home to the family-owned Nonno’s Ice Cream Shoppe, which closed its doors after for good following its 2023 season after two years.
The long-vacant building once housed a convenience store, and underwent a floor-to-ceiling interior renovation before its May 2022 debut.
It has sat empty since being listed for sale in spring of last year for $275,000. That price has dropped.
The listing by Coastal Realty for the newly renovated and move-in ready commercial building boasts the “unbeatable curb appeal and limitless potential” of the versatile space just a stone’s throw from a neighborhood park.
“Whether launching a hot new business or expanding a thriving one, the options are endless: laundromat, convenience store, bakery, take-out spot, retail showroom, professional office, wellness or massage studio, and more!”
Lickety Splits in Westport.
It’s business as usual at Lickety Splits Ice Cream.
The Westport summer staple reopened for its 35th season this April, dishing out over 24 unique and tasty flavors of soft serve, hard ice cream, and their top-selling Coney Island hot dogs.
But the 719 State Road building — which was listed in November 2024 by Century 21 Signature Properties at an asking price of $475,000 — remains for sale.
The real estate listing describes the property as a commercial gem in “a high-traffic location with endless money-making possibilities” that’s been “family-owned for over 60 years.”
According to the listing, the State Road property and restaurant equipment is being sold in “as-in” condition.
Digital Producer Dan Medeiros contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River area restaurants on the real estate market for new owners