Heng Thai, former Shiru Cafe building bought by Brown University for $5.1M

BROWN UNIVERSITY RECENTLY BOUGHT the 165 Angell St., Providence, property where Shiru Cafe operated for less than two years before closing in September 2019. The property still contains Heng Thai & Rotisseri, along with eight residential units on the upper levels. / COURTESY CITY OF PROVIDENCE
BROWN UNIVERSITY RECENTLY BOUGHT the 165 Angell St., Providence, property where Shiru Cafe operated for less than two years before closing in September 2019. The property still contains Heng Thai & Rotisseri, along with eight residential units on the upper levels. / COURTESY CITY OF PROVIDENCE

PROVIDENCE – A three-story building located in the Brown University area, previously occupied by an international coffee chain known for exchanging free coffees for personal information, was purchased by the Ivy League school for $5.1 million, according to public records.

Brown University bought the 165 Angell St. property from the Miami-based 165 Investments LLC, which has owned the building since 2008.

The property was home to Shiru Cafe, before it closed in September 2019 after less than two years in business at the site.

It was one of three U.S. locations closed down by the Japanese-owned Shiru Cafe coffee shop chain, which had a business model involving corporate sponsorships, employment networking opportunities, and free drinks including lattes and cold brews for its mostly college student customers in exchange for the personal information. When it closed its American coffee shops, the company said it instead wanted to focus on growing its markets in Japan and India.

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The property is across the street from the Granoff Center for the Creatives Arts, which is located next to the Brown University Bookstore.

Another commercial unit in the building is occupied by the Heng Thai & Rotisserie restaurant, which opened in 2018 and remains in operation. There are also eight residential units on the upper floors of the 6,115-square-foot building, which was constructed in 1910, according to city assessor’s records.

“For the foreseeable future, we’ll maintain the property in its current combination of retail and residential,” said Brian E. Clark, a spokesperson for Brown University, in response to an email asking about the university’s plans for the building.

165 Investments LLC is registered to Umberto Sorbo, who owned restaurants in Rhode Island including Brutopia in Cranston, which closed in late 2018. Sorbo previously told WPRI-TV that he moved from Rhode Island to Miami, and said it proved too difficult to operate Brutopia from afar.

Sorbo also previously owned the British Ale House and Coco Pazzo at the 165 Angell St. building before closing them, in addition to another restaurant in the Jewelry District called Succotash.

Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.

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