Envoy Signs First Retail Tenant for Mixed-Use Building on J Street

The Envoy’s first retail tenant will be a sweet addition to the newer mixed-use building on J Street in Downtown Sacramento.

Cakes by Jeff the Chef, which operates a location in the Downtown Commons center, is planning to open a second retail location in an approximately 865-square-foot space at 1022 J St. The business specializes in custom 4-inch cheesecakes with unique flavors and toppings like churros, pumpkin spice, pistachio and ube.

Owner Jeff Taylor said the business, which has operated a storefront at DoCo for about 18 months, rotates its menu daily and has about six to 10 different options at any given time. The addition of the second site will potentially allow him to offer a larger variety and attract new customers.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity for more customers to see what we have to offer and being in that area, which is close to the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and all the hotels around the area,” Taylor said.

Taylor has received top awards at the California State Fair for his cheesecakes and been featured on television shows such as A&E’s “Best in Chow” and Food Network’s “Sugar Showdown,” which he won in 2016. He anticipates the second location will open in spring 2025.

The Envoy is a seven-story building that features 153 apartments and approximately 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space at the corner of J and 11th streets. The project, which was completed by real estate developer Anthem Properties in 2023, was named as one of the Business Journal’s Best Real Estate Projects of 2023.

Earlier this year, Anthem Properties and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership announced a collaboration offering past participants in the Calling All Dreamers business competition perks to help them open up shop in the building’s retail space, such as a year of free rent.

Diana Davidson, senior director of leasing for Anthem Properties, said her team has held discussions with participants in Calling All Dreamers regarding taking some of the available space and are in negotiations with a few.

“It’s a brand new building, so especially for new independent operators it can be a struggle opening in new space because of the upfront investment needed,” Davidson said. “We are very aware of that so we are trying to be creative to help these tenants be able to narrow the delta.”