LEBANON — After almost a decade in the renovated mechanic’s shop at 1 North Park St., Lucky’s Coffee Garage is set to move down the street to new, larger digs at 1 Court St. later this summer.
The move comes after extensive negotiations between Lucky’s and the business’ landlord, Lebanon-based real estate company Ledgeworks, which planned to add a 40% rent increase to what the cafe’s owner Deb Shinnlinger has been paying since November.
Negotiations have been ongoing since Shinnlinger’s lease expired in 2022, Tim Sidore, Ledgework’s chief of operations, said in a Thursday phone interview.
Earlier this week, Ledgeworks filed an eviction lawsuit in Lebanon District Court to remove Lucky’s from the North Park Street garage, Shinnlinger said.
“We think they should vacate immediately but that’s ultimately up to the court,” Sidore said.
Meanwhile, Shinnlinger has begun the process of transitioning into the 1 Court St. property next to Three Tomatoes Trattoria. She hopes to open in the new space by late August.
Shinnlinger declined to disclose what she’ll pay in rent at the new location, which she’s leasing from One Court Street Associates, but she noted that the space is $31 per square foot, including common costs such as air conditioning and heat.
While Lucky’s move is precipitated by Ledgework’s rent hike, Shinnlinger acknowledged in a phone interview that the cafe has “outgrown the garage.”
The 1,650-square-foot space regularly fills up with a long line of customers and seating is limited. The 1 Court St. location, meanwhile, is about 500-square-feet larger, with space enough to seat 55 people inside, versus the current location, which seats 35.
The space was previously occupied by yarn store Scratch Supply Co., which re-opened on Lebanon’s Hanover Street this year.
Shinnlinger also hopes to have outdoor seating for 25 to 30 people in front of the cafe. Seating could grow to 50 people as the business becomes more established in the new location.
On top of offering additional seating, the construction of an expanded kitchen will make it possible for Lucky’s bakers to work in the cafe, instead of using the facilities at 227 Mechanic Street, which served as the cafe’s drive-thru for about a year before closing in 2025.
“It’s nice to have the bakers back home with us,” Shinnlinger said.
Although Lucky’s will no longer operate out of the old mechanic’s shop, formerly occupied by Roy’s Auto Service, the new space will pay homage to the cafe’s old home.
Shinnlinger plans to replace the windows on the east side of the building with garage doors and bring back the salvaged bowling alley booths that used to be part of Lucky’s seating.
The cafe also has a collection bin where people can drop off old license plates, a staple of Lucky’s decor, to feature in the new location.
The move to 1 Court St. also marks a change in leadership at Lucky’s. In the coming months, Shinnlinger, who’s in the process of moving to Nova Scotia, will be stepping down as owner, and the cafe’s general manager Jessica Giordani will be picking up the gauntlet.
“I can’t imagine a better person in the whole wide world to take over Lucky’s,” said Shinnlinger, noting that Giordani has excelled as a manager over the past couple years.
Regarding the future of the North Park Street garage, its days as a cafe might not be over.
“When buying the property, we intended it to be a coffee shop. We plan to re-let the space to a new coffee shop or other proprietor,” Sidore said in an email.
“…we wish Deb and her crew well and look forward to seeing them prosper up the street.”
