Cambridge, MA Nauset Construction completed the interior retail fit-out for the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts (CSCA) Café, an independent café and bakery located at 1995 Massachusetts Ave. in Porter Sq.

The café, which opened its doors in February, occupies the final retail space at St. James Place, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development that seamlessly integrates the historic St. James Episcopal Church with 46 condominiums, 2,000 s/f of retail space, and a parish hall that includes a neighborhood food pantry. Nauset renovated the church in 2021 and constructed the condominiums and parish hall for owner/developer Acorn Holdings in partnership with St. James Episcopal Church.

An alumni-run enterprise of the renowned Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, the CSCA Café is located directly across the St. from the school and will offer fresh-baked-goods created in the main campus kitchens and coffee and tea from local vendors George Howell Coffee, MEM Tea, and Curio Spice. The café also sells cookbooks, olive oil, pasta, and other items produced by award-winning CSCA alumni chefs and restaurateurs, as well as CSCA Café merchandise. Students who staff the CSCA Cafe? can also earn credits as part of their curriculum.

Designed by Centrepoint Architects, the 800 s/f café features seating for eight people and a window counter, with patio seating to be added in the spring. Nauset’s scope of work included the construction of new walls, acoustical ceilings, millwork, luxury vinyl tile flooring in the café, epoxy flooring in the culinary area, glass shelving, and the installation of quartz countertops.

“The CSCA Café completes our vision for St. James Place,” said Phil Terzis of Acorn Holdings. “Not only does the café provide a wonderful amenity for our residents and the surrounding community, but it also supports the goals of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, which has been a vital part of the neighborhood fabric for the past 50 years.”

“This project exemplifies Nauset Construction’s ongoing evolution, highlighting our ability to scale and diversify across various project types and sizes from ground-up urban infill and historic restorations to additions and occupied renovations. Our investment in our people and processes, particularly our fit-out teams for office, healthcare, education, and retail projects, remains a cornerstone of our success,” said Benjamin Goldfarb, Vice President of Nauset Construction.

The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Café marks the fifth project on which Nauset and Acorn have partnered, underscoring their strong and collaborative relationship.