Popular Somerville brunch spot Sound Bites is for sale

Sound Bites Cafe, the longtime breakfast destination in Ball Square known for its famous breakfast dishes and years of public controversies, is For sale.

The property at 704 Broadway was listed for $2.15 million on April 16, according to Commercial Real Estate Listings. Classified as an “uncut hidden gem,” the sale includes the restaurant’s full liquor license and a fully installed bar and tap system.

Owner Kelard Zera declined to speak on the record and declined to confirm that the company is for sale.

Dan Mahoney of the Mahoney Group, the listing agent for the property, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Sound bites It was first opened in 1996 under owner Yasir Mirza and has become one of Somerville’s popular breakfast restaurants. The company gained a loyal following for its breakfast and lunch offerings and played a central role in the popular Ball Square restaurant Compete in the “Breakfast Wars”. With nearby restaurants.

In 2022, the restaurant came under scrutiny after employee complaints about overtime pay and workplace conditions. The US Department of Labor charged Mirza Revenge against workers who raised pay concerns, including allegations that he made threats of violence against the employee and his family. Mirza was ordered to pay $15,000 in punitive damages to the affected current and former employees.

Mirza sold Sound Bites to Kelard Zera on December 23, 2023. The restaurant faced additional challenges during the ownership transition, including “operating Without any of the necessary licenses Through the beginning of 2024,” according to the Licensing Commission meeting on May 21, 2024. The city later reinstated the restaurant’s licenses.

The current menu represents another chapter for the nearly three-decade-old restaurant, which has remained a staple of Somerville’s dining scene despite a history of legal disputes, labor complaints and public controversies.

As of the date of publication, Sound Bites remains open for business.