Hyattsville-based Sangfroid Distilling will convert a prominent, historic bank property in Takoma Park’s commercial district into a distillery and cocktail bar.
The off-market sale of 6950 Carroll Ave. closed on August 30 for $1.75 Million. Hannah McCann of downtown Silver Spring-based Go Brent Realty represented the buyer.
With the purchase of this property, Sangfroid Distilling can anchor its local distillery in the hometown of Jeff Harner, one of the company’s two owners. Nate Groenendyk, co-owner and brother-in-law, lives in Hyattsville, where Sangfroid has had a 1,200 SF storefront since 2017.
Sangfroid was attracted to the Takoma Park location due to a zoning overlay that permits artisan manufacturing.
Sangfroid’s 16-foot copper still and stainless steel tanks will be showcased in the historic landmark bank property’s tall windows and 27-foot-high atrium, forming a beacon at Takoma Park’s commercial district entrance. The 16,822 square-foot property operated as a Bank of America until 2021.
The county’s Historic Preservation Commission has approved Sangfroid’s conversion of the existing bank into a production facility and cocktail bar, which D.C.-based CORE Architects will design.
“It’s opportunities like this that make commercial real estate so exciting,” Go Brent Realty owner/broker Liz Brent said in a press release. “Bringing new retail businesses to main streets in the close-in suburbs we serve helps build a sense of community – a pride of place. We’re thrilled that Sangfroid is able to expand its operations into such a great property.”
“We’ve been looking to expand our distilling operations since the day we opened, and Hannah was able to find us a unicorn property that all had all the existing infrastructure in an incredible location. We’re excited to be able to give this historically significant property new life,” said Jeff Harner, co-owner of Sangfroid Distilling and 14-year resident of Takoma Park.
Go Brent Realty launched its commercial division in 2021 to serve the needs of small businesses and “Class C” property owners in D.C. and nearby Maryland suburbs. Recent clients include Bump n’ Grind Coffee, which purchased an off-market property in downtown Silver Spring in December, as well as Downtown Boxing Club and the Berwyn Ballet School, which have both recently signed long-term leases in the area.
Photo: Jesse Kirsch