Sams-Jones House Gets Potential New Tenant
Cary, NC – Since early 2016, the Sams-Jones House has sat empty as the Town of Cary looked for a new tenant. Now, town staff have selected a potential business to fill the historic house and Town Council will vote on approving the lease later this week.
Restauranteur and chef Michael Chuong and VVVC Inc. have been selected out of five proposals to lease the Sams-Jones House, recently renamed as the building gained historic landmark designation.
Chuong opened and currently owns Elements, an Asian fusion restaurant in Chapel Hill, in 2012. But before that, Chuong opened An in Cary for six years and also worked as Prestonwood Country Club’s executive chef.
Cary Town Council will vote on this lease at the Thursday, December 14, 2017 regular meeting. The lease will see VVVC Inc. pay the town over the next 10 years: $55,200 annually for years one through five and $60,700 annually for years six through 10, bringing in $579,500 of revenue in this 10 year term.
According to the staff report, the Town of Cary is looking into changes to the bathrooms, where the doors open awkwardly into the dining area, and how a walk-in cooler could be added. As a newly designated historic landmark, changes to the Sams-Jones House would need to be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.
The Sams-Jones House was previously occupied by the downtown restaurant Belle before it closed in January 2016.
Story by Michael Papich. Photo by Lindsey Chester.
Regardless of style of cuisine, it is a true chef and proven business owner at the helm. Very exciting.
I guess it could have been Pizza. Good attitude Gary. I’ve lived in Cary for 62 year this month as an adult and it is hard to visualize a Chinese Restaurant at S. Academy and Dry. Will it normally be open on Christmas Day?
Asian take-out could be quite a hit with park visitors across the street.
And, later– a hit with all those construction workers building the parking deck and new library!
This sounds great! I loved the food at An and I am excited to have Chuong in Downtown Cary.
Talk about burying the lede – the real news here is that An Cuisine is coming back! And its going to be downtown! Well, OK, there may be some history buffs (Ed, I know you’re reading) who are more interested in the house than the food.
The new place doesn’t have to be named An, and it might not be feasible to use that name. But the rest of us should keep it in mind. I’ve had many unforgettable meals at Chuong’s establishment and I can’t wait for his work to be available in Cary again.