A derelict, nearly 100-year-old bank building in Port Chester will reopen this fall as Jane Foodie Cafe, the hub of what its owner, a recent “Shark Tank” winner, hopes will be a national chain of eateries.
Following advice she received from billionaire Mark Cuban on ABC’s “Shark Tank” television series in the spring, serial entrepreneur Jane Carroll plans to produce homestyle, preservative-free food in a large manufacturing kitchen in the historic Port Chester Savings Bank building at 133 North Main Street. Visitors to a Jane Foodie café at the front will be able to order breakfast, lunch, and dinner to eat on site or take home frozen.
Although she originally intended to use an investment from Shark Tank’s Lori Greiner to bankroll mass market distribution of her frozen creations, Carroll soon pivoted to the café model. Cuban counseled her that that concept — simplifying each outlet’s operations by eliminating the need to prepare dishes from scratch — had the makings of a great business model, Carroll explained.
The Port Chester venture marks a big new business tack for Carroll. After a trial period of learning how to best meld food production and restaurant operations, Carroll plans to franchise Jane Foodie cafes that would be stocked with flash-frozen dishes prepared at the Port Chester site.
Carroll had been recruited to appear on Shark Tank after, much to her surprise, her Guinness Beef Stew won the award for outstanding new product when she exhibited at the June 2024 Fancy Food Show.
Carroll recalls the taping of the popular business reality show in September 2024 as an “unreal” experience that ended up with “sharks” Greiner and Barbara Corcoran bidding against each other. Greiner ended up investing $300,000 for a 25 percent stake in the business. Although the “Shark Tank” experience was intense, she felt “incredibly supported” by everyone involved from the staff to the stars.
The episode documenting Carroll’s experience aired in April 2025.
“At Jane Foodie, we’re not chasing food trends — we’re bringing back real comfort food with a modern twist,” explains Carroll’s website for her current mail-order-focused business. “For over 100 years, flash freezing has preserved raw fruits and vegetables. We’ve reimagined flash frozen for fully cooked, chef-crafted meals that lock in freshness, flavor, and nutrients. Giving you a ‘just cooked’ dish straight from your freezer.”
On a recent visit, the high-ceilinged classic white bank building, most recently a Wells Fargo bank branch, had been stripped down to an empty box with all the teller windows torn away. That didn’t stop Carroll from enthusiastically painting a picture of how she would transform the space.
A long glass wall will permit café-goers to watch as meals are prepared in the industrial kitchen. The café will be decorated with vintage furniture that Carroll has used to outfit cafes she has run in Yonkers and Pearl River.
The site will be an “entrepreneurial hub” hosting events and even featuring a podcast studio. And a major plus for patrons — the site has a convenient adjacent 12-space parking lot.
Make or break for the business will be the food, of course. Best sellers from Jane Foodie’s website include her award-winning Guinness Beef Stew, Crispy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, fresh bread, and cinnamon rolls.
