Planned Dorchester food coop will have a cafe

The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans by organizers of the proposed Dorchester Food Coop to include a cafe in the store when it opens at 191-195 Bowdoin St. in Dorchester.

The cooperatively owned store will occupy 6,000 square feet in an affordable apartment building being built by VietAID on the site.

Although the zoning for the site allows a market without requiring zoning approval, cafes are considered "conditional uses" under a section of Boston's zoning code related to food take-out.

An architect for the food coop said organizers agreed to add a cafe after nearby residents said the area could really benefit from a place where people could gather.

Nobody opposed the proposal, which the board approved unanimously. The coop will still have to get a food-serving license from the Boston Licensing Board.