Wash. DC/Baltimore Retail and Restaurant Development

[adelphi_sky]

Hey guys. In the new University Town Center development, there are a few new restaurants that have opened up. In addition to Carolina Kitchen (a local favorite), Qdoba, Five Guys, and Three Brothers Italian Restaurant, Soup Man ( from the famous soup nazi episode) has opened up, as well as Wild Onion (an organic sandwich and salad shop), Giifords Ice Cream and Candy Store and Old Dominion Brewery (a top 25 world brewery and good food as well). Stop on down if you're ever in the neighborhood.

[Ty Doggie]

Originally Posted by Exrexnotex

Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff

The grandson of real estate and bakery mogul John Paterakis Sr. will open several organic burger restaurants in Greater Baltimore.

The first Elevation Burger will open in November in Harbor East, in a 2,000-square-foot spot next to the Courtyard by Marriott. Alex Smith, a franchisee for the Arlington, Va., chain, is scouting real estate in Towson, Pikesville and Owings Mills for additional stores. Smith said he would like to open a total of three stores within five years.

The company currently has one location in Falls Church, Va. It is also expanding in Texas, New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The expansion comes at a time when many restaurant owners are struggling with higher food and energy costs and a weak economy. But Smith said he believes that a lower-priced eatery would appeal to cost-conscious consumers. Burgers start at $3.99, while a burger, fries and drink cost about $8.

“There are few places in the city where you can get a meal for under $10,” Smith said.

The restaurant’s menu items include a “vertigo” burger, which includes multiple burger patties piled high, and a vegan burger. The burgers are made with organic meat from free-range, grass-fed cows. Founded by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Hans and April Hess in 2002, the owners began franchising the concept this year.

Elevation Burger restaurants are between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet and seat between 25 and 90 guests.

Smith said his grandfather, Paterakis, owner of H&S Bakery, has been a mentor.

“He’s the one who inspired me to be more of an entrepreneur” rather than work in an office, Smith said. “I pick his brain as much as possible.”

Uh that sounds NICE.

Atmann's and Jay's Deli are good too.

[pepperjack]

the panera bread at Brewers Hill had a sign that said it was opening in 1 day(s). That was very quick.

[PeterSmith]

BaltimoreGrows reports the following:

New Restaurants Planned Despite Economic Climate
Despite the nation’s economic woes, there still seem to be some new restaurants coming to Baltimore.

The Baltimore Sun reported that the Bagby Building (along Fleet Street in Fells Point) will be the new home to a brick oven pizzeria and a new American fusion bistro. A Verizon Wireless store recently opened in the same building which also has room for two more restaurants. There’s an area available for outdoor seating as well.

The Sun also reported that while Tsunami, the sushi restaurant on Central Avenue north of Harbor east, has closed, the owners plan to open a new restaurant in its place. Supposedly the new restaurant will either be an Australian gastropub or a Mexican-Latino theme. Tsunami’s sushi will now be available at its sister restaurant, Lemongrass, next door.

And the Baltimore Business Journal reported that an “upscale casual” eatery is planned for the Zenith Apartment building on the city’s West Side. The publication also noted that the upscale italian chain “Vapiano” is scouting locations in Baltimore City. Vapiano’s only other US locations are in the Washington DC area and Ft. Meyers Florida.

[PeterSmith]

More restaurant news:

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/bal...107600^1740146

Friday, November 28, 2008
Restaurateurs cook up new ventures as economy chills
Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff

Within a few months, Baltimore and Annapolis will be home to several new restaurants — even as the sour economy forces many others to close.

The owners of an Anne Arundel County bistro will open a French-Asian restaurant at the downtown Baltimore spot that once was home to cigar shop Fader’s. Down the street, the proposed Hotel Indigo, at 207 E. Redwood St., will house a restaurant when the 130-room hotel opens in February. And Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole next year will gain several new restaurants, including Real Seafood Co., Brio Tuscan Grill and the Chop House.

Aina Tsin and Joe Chen will invest $1 million to open the 140-seat, 5,000-square-foot Asiatique at 12 S. Calvert St. by February, with financing from friends, family and private investors. The restaurant will employ up to 30.

While the economy is in the dumps, Tsin said she believes her restaurant will fare better because it will offer some lower-priced entrées and a wine bar with more than 500 labels.

“In good or bad times, people like to drink,” she said. Entrées will cost between $19 and $29.

She also said her Severna Park restaurant Moulin de Paris is profitable. Tsin’s parents started Moulin de Paris 25 years ago as a bakery. Tsin and her husband have expanded it to become a full-service restaurant.

“I have a lot of confidence that it’s the right fit for the space,” said Leo McDermott, a senior vice president at Corridor Reznick LLC who brokered the deal. “I didn’t want to get just anybody.”

Still, restaurants have had a tough time battling the down economy. Another Asian restaurant, Tsunami, closed this month after not getting enough business. Nasu Blanca, a Spanish and Japanese restaurant, and Kiss Café in Canton also closed this year.

But other developers and restaurant owners are forging ahead. Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo will house Phi Bistro, a casual 125-seat restaurant. That’s according to Jennifer Park, a project coordinator for Columbia’s Ampac Group Inc., Hotel Indigo’s developer. Park said Phi is a Hotel Indigo concept seen in the boutique hotel chain’s other properties.

Annapolis Towne Centre will get several new restaurants next year. Two are operated by Mainstreet Ventures, an Ann Arbor, Mich., company that runs 10 restaurant concepts.

These include Chop House and Real Seafood Co., which will open in May. Both are about 8,600 square feet.

Columbus, Ohio-based Bravo! Development Inc. will open Italian restaurant Brio Tuscan Grille at the redeveloped mall in April. Bravo operates Italian and French restaurants in 27 states. Annapolis Towne Centre, a $500 million retail, residential and office complex, opened last month, with Target as its anchor.

Brian Gibbons, CEO of the mall’s developer Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp., said he believes his restaurants will draw customers because they are unique to the area. All three are opening their first Maryland location. He also said the inclusion of 208 apartment buildings means that the restaurants have captive customers. The new restaurants will employ 500.

For restaurant owners such as Tsin, the downturn has presented a good business opportunity. The deal not only gives her a restaurant, but an equity stake in the building.

If you pay rent, there’s no return on investment, Tsin said.

Asiatique, which will be open for lunch and dinner, will serve items such as calamari with pomegranate, ahi tuna and Chilean sea bass with lavender rice.

Though there are plenty of restaurants along the Inner Harbor, there are not so many choices for people who work further north along Calvert or Charles streets, said Kasey J. Hughes, a commercial real estate broker with Transwestern.

“Any amenity you can add to the central business district is good,” said Hughes, who was not involved in the restaurant deal.

and...

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/bal...107600^1740164

Friday, November 28, 2008
Pizza franchiser eyes Md., Del. for 50 locations
Baltimore Business Journal - by Ryan Sharrow Staff

A California pizza chain plans to open nearly 30 new locations in Greater Baltimore by 2016.

Chestertown-based Eat Inc. has bought the rights to develop 50 RedBrick Pizza Worldwide Inc. restaurants in Maryland and Delaware.

Eat Inc. plans to own and operate 20 of the locations and franchise the remaining 30, said Howard Johnson, company vice president of operations. The average investment from a RedBrick franchisee is between $200,000 to $300,000, he said.

Eat Inc. is scouring locations in Baltimore City and Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties to open 30 RedBrick locations. The remaining 20 sites are slated for the Eastern Shore and Delaware.

The company hopes to open its first pair of Greater Baltimore locations in late 2009 in the city’s burgeoning Harbor East neighborhood and on the Avenue in White Marsh. On average, a RedBrick location requires 1,200 square feet to 1,500 square feet and employs 12.

“The timing is excellent,” Johnson said on opening the restaurants in a tough economy. “The consumer is looking for something that’s reasonable.”

A fire-roasted large pizza at a RedBrick location can run between $12.95 and $17.95.

[PeterSmith]

I see the coal-fired pizza trend is about to hit Maryland in the same way that it hit South Florida about a year ago. I've been starting to see more and more of the exact same shopping center open up down here. They all contain a Starbucks, Panera, Chiptole, Pei Wei and Anthony's Coalfire Pizza. All good eating options, but can we please get a little variety?

I predict we will see the first RedBrick locations open at McHenry Row, Columbia, Towson and Canton Crossing. They seem to fit the bill.

[rockin'.baltimorean]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

I see the coal-fired pizza trend is about to hit Maryland in the same way that it hit South Florida about a year ago. I've been starting to see more and more of the exact same shopping center open up down here. They all contain a Starbucks, Panera, Chiptole, Pei Wei and Anthony's Coalfire Pizza. All good eating options, but can we please get a little variety?

yeah, really.....lol. the smae ole' retail gets played out after awhile....

[NorthaBmore]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

I predict we will see the first RedBrick locations open at McHenry Row, Columbia, Towson and Canton Crossing. They seem to fit the bill.

i would love one in Towson! Maybe we will get one in Towson circle III

[Exrexnotex]

Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff

With the economy in the dumps, eating out is all about finding a good deal. And Tom Poe knows it.

In July, he tapped Patti Chan to help launch a Web site that lists food and drink specials around Baltimore, called 600block.com. Chan works full-time for the venture in the Emerging Technology Center, a business incubator in Canton. Poe is hanging onto his day job as director of internet marketing at Constellation Energy Group Inc.

On any given night, you can log onto 600block.com to find more than 500 dining and drink specials.

On a recent Friday, for instance, Baltimore Vietnamese restaurant Pho was serving up free appetizers and $2 off all drinks. Tuesdays, 12 entrées for $12 each can be had at the Waterfront Hotel in Fells Point.

“In this economy, people are really interested in saving money,” Poe said. The site also lists reviews of Baltimore shops and restaurants written by locals.

After moving from Anne Arundel County to Canton two years ago, Poe had a tough time finding a site that lists the latest specials and reviews created by his peers. How did he get the name? His Canton rowhome is in the 600 block.

Poe and Chan — whom he found after placing an ad for a Web designer — invested $35,000 of their money into the venture. The site today gets 10,000 unique visitors per month. That compares with 1,200 visitors in July.

So far he has been concentrating on growing his user base and traffic. Next, Poe will turn his attention to bringing in some revenue, which has been minimal to date. He makes money by charging restaurants $66 a month to be featured at the top of the specials list and be included in a weekly e-mail to 600block readers.

Poe said he hopes to generate revenue by licensing the site’s database to other Web sites that want to list its specials. Another Web site would essentially pay to gain access to 600block’s list of restaurants.

Poe also said he hopes to syndicate the content on 600block.com to other media sites. He has not yet determined how much he would charge for these services.

Gino Cardinale, owner of City Cafe, said he advertises on 600block because the site reaches the under-30 crowd — a demographic that eats out a lot. Advertising on the site also is cheaper than a print ad. A print ad would cost at least $500 a week; Cardinale spends less than that in six months of advertising on 600block.

For now, Poe said he will stay at Constellation. He spends his evenings and weekends working on the site.

Poe said Constellation’s current travails did not inspire him to launch 600block. Nonetheless, he hopes to eventually spend his days, and not just his nights, on the 600block.

[pepperjack]

There have been several place closing. It appears the Sip 'n' Bite is no longer open. And I just noticed Kiss Cafe in the Canton Can Company building has the paper over the windows.

[pfd103]

Originally Posted by pepperjack

There have been several place closing. It appears the Sip 'n' Bite is no longer open. And I just noticed Kiss Cafe in the Canton Can Company building has the paper over the windows.

Word is that Kiss Cafe will be split into two spaces for new places.

Ray Lewis BBQ is also gone now...

[NovaWolverine]

Georgetown is getting an Apple Store.

[Exrexnotex]

The Kiss cafe's been closed for a while. I did not know Ray's restaurant is closed

[rockin'.baltimorean]

Originally Posted by pfd103

Ray Lewis BBQ is also gone now...

what????? since when? i loved the ribs there....

[Htay9500]

Mamma Lucias and five guys are some of the best things around the area.

[pepperjack]

Elevation Burger has opened in Harbor East. The tapas place says it's opening in April '09, but they were still working on the inside quite a bit when I walked by.

[scando]

Originally Posted by pepperjack

Elevation Burger has opened in Harbor East. The tapas place says it's opening in April '09, but they were still working on the inside quite a bit when I walked by.

Good. HE needs more food. The last time I went to a movie there, my wife and I were looking for something quick and ate at the Tex/mex place. The food sucked (quite possibly the worst burrito I have ever had) and there were no tables. More choices can't hurt. I didn't want to eat at Whole Foods but after eating that burrito, I wished I had gotten brown rice and steamed veggies.

[scando]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

I see the coal-fired pizza trend....

Coal fired? Like coal with sulpher and coal dust and black lung? Really?

[sovman]

Yum!

[PeterSmith]

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/bal...20/daily4.html

Monday, April 20, 2009, 1:49pm EDT
Brewer's Art tops Esquire's list of Best Bars in America
Baltimore Business Journal - by Heather Redding Staff

The Brewer’s Art in Mount Vernon, a haven for beer drinkers looking for homemade brews, was named the best bar in America by Esquire Magazine.

Housed in an old, grand townhouse on North Charles Street, the bar is known for its Belgian-style home brew.

Volker Stewart, co-owner of the Brewer’s Art said Monday he was shocked by the news.

“It was really surprising,” he said. “I didn’t expect it at all.”

Esquire provides a feature on its Web site that allows users to vote on their favorite bar. There’s a catch.

The Esquire poll is transitional and on-going, so The Brewer’s Art top spot is only guaranteed for a short time. “On April 20, we are the best bar in America, and that is all that matters today,” Volker said.

The accomplishment will be published on The Brewer’s Art Web site, as well as on their Facebook page.

Ernestine and Hazel’s bar in Memphis, Tenn., placed second in the polling, followed by Charlie B’s Bar in Missoula, Mont.

Brewers’ Art hasn’t gone unnoticed by Esquire.

The magazine listed the Brewer’s Art as one of the best bars in America in June 2007.