Development : Development News

Westminster Main Street Program has received a state design award that economic development officials hope will help it attract more businesses to the downtown area.

The city received the 2010 Main Street Maryland Excellence Award for Design for fixing up its commercial and residential buildings and implementing a $2 million fa�ade improvement program.

The state Main Street awards recognize projects that improve the appearance and economy of historic downtown business districts. Awards are given for design, economic restructuring, promotion and organization. A fifth award is granted for Main Streets that are clean, safe and green. Westminster netted an award for organizational excellence two years ago.

"It shows that our programs are working and we're getting recognition from the outside," says Stan Ruchlewicz, administrator of the Westminster Office of Economic Development and Main Street program manager, of the award. "Our goal is to get all five awards."

Westminster is one of 23 commercial districts that the state has designated as a Main Street community.

Downtown Westminster counts about 300 businesses, including 75 retailers and 24 restaurants. The area has been gaining 10 to 15 businesses per year in the last nine years, Ruchlewicz says.

The design award will hopefully encourage more businesses to take advantage of the Main Street Program. Entrepreneurs can receive up to $20,000 in fa�ade improvement grants if they maintain their business for five years.

"We're hoping that will give us more businesses," Ruchlewicz says of the awards. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Stan Ruchlewicz

After seven years in Canton, Crimson & Clover Floral Design Inc. is packing up its bouquets and heading to North Baltimore. The florist will open in an expanded shop at 733 Deepdene Road later in June.

At 1,522 square feet, the new shop is two-thirds bigger than the previous location. The larger space will give owner Amy Epstein the room add more flowers to her stock and hold meetings with brides-to-be or event planners. With about 80 weddings booked each a year, nuptials are a good chunk of Crimson & Clover's business, she says.

Though business from passersby has slowed somewhat due to the down economy, Epstein says she can still rely on the wedding business. "People will always get married and they're going to need flowers for their wedding." Wedding planners, however, might spend $20,000 instead of $50,000 nowadays.

The new space includes a large, walk-in cooler that will allow her to make custom bouquets on the spot.
"We didn't physically have the space for more people and flowers," Epstein says. "I have been turning away brides on weekends."

Epstein, who spent $50,000 on the new location, says she hopes the Roland Park will offer more foot traffic and easy access to area's affluent residents. Another plus is the neighborhoods accessibility. It's easy for  to people in Baltimore City as well as Baltimore County to get there, Epstein says.

"I like the idea of being more central to the city and county," she says. "We do a lot of business in the counties. I do feel that this is more accessible and central to our clients."

The store is in the same shopping center as gourmet grocer Eddie's of Roland Park. It's also close to four schools, three banks, a pharmacy and Starbucks. 


Source: Amy Epstein, Crimson & Clover
Writer: Julekha Dash

You're an out-of-towner who finds himself stumbling into a bar called Kooper's Tavern in Baltimore's historic Fells Point neighborhood. A few too many pints of Guinness later and now you're just looking for the nearest place to crash with a comfy bed.

Kooper's Owner Patrick Russell and his partner Bill Irvin have the answer for the itinerant, inebriated guest. The pair took over Celie's Waterfront Bed & Breakfast last month, hoping to expand their hospitality enterprise to include an inn. The partners paid $1.3 million to purchase the 5,800-square-foot building and business from Kevin and Nancy Kupec.
 
The seven-room B&B also includes two apartments for extended-stay travelers who are, say, in town on business or getting treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The partners spruced up the apartments and patio with new furniture. Russell says the partners are also counting on wedding business, tourists and weekday business travelers to book rooms.

Operating a B&B also enables Russell to generate more revenue for his Fells Point restaurants, which include Kooper's,Slainte and burger wagon Kooper's Chowhound. Combined, the businesses employee 140 people.

"I feel like we can generate more business from the restaurants by providing food for the guests," Russell says. He plans to offer a "real" breakfast to guests and serve food from the restaurants at cocktail parties and wedding receptions.

And women who need a place to get their hair done before getting married can turn to Russell as well. His wife and sister-in-law operate K Co. Design Salon and Day Spa in Mount Washington. Russell offers a car service from Celie's to the salon. 


Russell  and Irvin say they're keeping their eye out for more business to acquire. "We're very interested in expanding to become a very big company," but without spreading himself and his staff too thin.
 
So far, the inn has surpassed their expectations. It sold out during Memorial Day weekend, and bookings are more than 20 percent ahead of last year. Rooms cost between $149 and $400.

"Running an inn is very much like running your household. You get up and make breakfast but you make it for a few other folks," Russell says.

Wondering what else is happening in Fells Point? Find it here!

Source: Patrick Russell, Celie's
Writer: Julekha Dash

Charles Village residents now have a new neighborhood joint to get their mozzarella and pepperoni fix. Maxie's Pizza Bar Grille, a 110-seat casual restaurant, opened in April at 3003 N. Charles Street.

The 2,800-square-foot restaurant sells pizza, pasta and salads. And hopefully later in June, Maxie's will also have a full bar downstairs once it gets its liquor license,  says Luigi Romano , co-owner.Romano and his partner Luigi Coppola have invested about $400,000 to open the restaurant.

Romano moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore nine months ago after a cousin who operates several restaurants told Romano he thought his pizza skills could make some dough in Charm City.

Romano chose Charles Village because there wasn't another pizza shop like it in the area. (Ledo Pizza, however, will soon open a store about a block away).

Just across the street from Johns Hopkins University campus, Maxie's will hopefully fill students' craving for cheap and filling fare, Romano says. He has operated a similar restaurant near Temple University in Philadelphia and found that pizza plus college students are like mozzarella and tomato sauce -- a perfect match.

Romano also thought that a casual restaurant, rather than a pricey eatery, was the way to go. "The way the economy has been going, I thought of going back to pizza," Romano says. He has also operated an upscale restaurant in Doylestown, Pa. called Rustico.

Pizza by the slice runs between $2.25 and $3.50, while pasta dishes are a little pricier at about $11. Maxie's serves as many as 20 varieties at once, including Buffalo chicken, bacon and tomatoes, chicken pesto and cheesesteak pizza.

"There's always something going on," Romano says of Charles Village.  Romano also likes the fact that the area attracts a variety of people from all over the country working at Johns Hopkins.

Check out what else is happening in Charles Village!

Source: Luigi Romano, Maxie's
Writer: Julekha Dash

All too often, a night out for ethnic grub in suburbia brings to mind plates piled high with nachos, non-descript sauces and Monterey Jack cheese. A new restaurant chain out of the Cleveland area wants to bring a spicier alternative to the suburban carb fest for Annapolis diners.

Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar will open in a 7,000-square-foot restaurant at Annapolis Towne Centre sometime in mid-August. It's just the second location for the business, which aims to be a national chain someday, says Andy Himmel, managing member.

Those expansion plans include building three to four additional Paladar restaurants in Greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C., over the next few years, Himmel says. 

In addition to the new location in Annapolis, there are also plans to expand into a dozen other markets. According to Himmel, they're looking for locations in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, including Chicago, Pittsburgh and Birmingham, Mich.

The Annapolis market offers educated, high-income residents that appealed to Paladar executives. The median home cost in Annapolis is $358,570 and nearly 40 percent of its residents possess a Bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 22 percent of the general U.S. population.

Many Latin American concept restaurants are smaller, locally owned,  and located in more urban communities. What sets Paladar apart is it's business model that takes their ceviche and empanadas to the bedroom communities. 

"Our intention is to offer suburban [baby] boomers, the creative class, an alternative to the regular chain options," Himmel says. "It's a great, fun night out. You don't have to go downtown."

Menu items at the Woodmere, Ohio, restaurant include plantain and pumpkin-seed crusted tilapia, for $16.95, and seared tuna served over a yucca cake, for $23.50.

The restaurant will be located near the mall's Gordon Biersch Brewery. The new restaurant will add 70 new jobs to the local economy.

Are you foodie? Read more about recent restuarant openings here.


Source: Andy Himmel, Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar
Writer: Julekha Dash

Coming to a curb near you: burritos to order. Lesa Bain and Shawn Smith bring their version of the Mexican classic to the hungry lunchtime crowd gratis of their 12-foot truck. The two have been cruisin' through Hampden and neighborhood festivals for the past two weeks.

In the next few months, Bain says she and her husband hope to make their burrito wagon, Curbside Caf�, a full-time venture. Just five bucks a piece, the burritos come filled with ingredients --some traditional and some not so traditional -- including pulled pork, black beans, tofu and veggies.Curbside even sells an Indian-style burrito stuffed with chana masala, or chickpeas with Indian spices.

"We have a variety of burritos. We're not trying to go for a Mexican theme," Bain says.

Why a food wagon? The couple wanted to launch a business and thought a food venture would be perfect since Smith is a good cook, Bain says.

They chose a food wagon instead of a more stationary location because they wanted to start small. Bain got the idea after seeing food delivery trucks in California, Philadelphia and New York. She estimates that the couple have spent about $10,000 to cover start-up costs.

"They're everywhere in other cities, but not too many in Baltimore," She continues. .

One of the biggest challenges to starting the business has been figuring out what will sell well and knowing just how much food they will need for an event. 

A number of food wagons have taking to trolling the streets of Charm City in recent months. Icedgems Baking roves throughout Baltimore County selling cupcakes and other sweet confections. Patrick Russell, owner of Koopers Tavern in Fells Point, started Kooper's Chowhound, a burger wagon, last year.

Bain and Smith will eventually take their truck beyond Hampden's border, but for now, the neighborhood suits them fine. The couple live in the area and know a lot of business owners there. "There's a lot going on in Hampden," Bain says.

There's more happening in Hampden. Read about it here.

Source: Lesa Bain, Curbside Cafe
Writer: Julekha Dash

Kristopher Auer first started racing bikes 23 years ago. Now, he has turned his passion into a business in Hampden. Twenty20 Cycling Co. opened this month at 725 W. 36th Street. Auer and his two business partners, Norman Brach and Johnny May, invested $250,000 to transform a dilapidated garage into a full-service bike retail and repair shop.

Auer, who lives in nearby Remington, likes Hampden's Avenue because of it's always full of activity. "The Avenue has a lot of vibrancy," he says. "The unique shops make it a very Baltimore experience. It's the heart of the city in a certain sense. It's not downtown but not the county."

He also thought it was appropriate to open the shop in a part of town where it's easy to ride bikes. "It's a very bikeable part of town. The more people riding is better for the city. It's better for everyone."

Entry-level bikes run about $300, while a high-end custom bike can cost up to $10,000. "It's kind of like a car or stereo. If it's something you're into, why not ride the best."

Auer met his business partners through a cycling team that he runs. Auer also knew May from working at the Mt. Washington Bike Shop. Brach was a cycling client that Auer was training. "Serendipitously, everything came together."

Some of the costs of opening the 3,000-square-foot store was offset by a biking company called Specialized. The company helped the business owners design and lay out the store.  Twenty20 sells other bike brands as well.

Read about other efforts to green Baltimore here.


Source: Kristopher Auer, Tewenty20 Cycling Co.
Writer: Julekha Dash

A Chicago retail brokerage firm is expanding, opening a new office in downown Baltimore. The Sierra U.S. office will serve clients in the Mid-Atlantic, from Northern Virginia to Deleware, including Greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C., from its 2,000-square-foot office at 616 Water Street.

"There are pockets of Baltimore that are underserved," says Mark Mueller, a retail broker formerly with KLNB Retail pegged to head up Sierra's Baltimore office. Those pockets include Harbor East, South Baltimore, Howard County and Northern Baltimore County. The company's clients include Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao, Advance Auto Parts, Bar Louie and CVS.

"There are so many tenants looking to come to Washington and Baltimore," he continues. "Sierra has a lot of tenants that want to expand."

While the office currently employs a staff of three, there are plans to hire as many as eight brokers. "We're looking for experienced brokers, wherever they are," Mueller says.

Things are picking up in the retail world as business owners start to take advantage of good rent deals. Retail rents, on average, are 25 percent cheaper than they were in 2007, according to Mueller.
 
Tenants that can serve a particular niche are looking to fill existing spaces. Restaurants that are expanding are mid-range, rather than high-end, are the ones looking to grow nowadays, Mueller says. "You won't see new shopping centers built from the ground up as financing is still difficult.". 

In addition to the Chicago office, Sierra also has an office in Boca Raton, Fla. The company may open another office in Northern Virginia down the road, Mueller says.


Source: Mark Mueller, Sierra U.S.
Writer: Julekha Dash

Justine Mantua fell in love with Hampden six years ago and liked it so much she made it the home for her new business.

The recent college graduate opened Fleurish Boutique May 13 at 822 W. 36th St. The 700-square-foot store sells an eclectic mix of modern and vintage furniture and home d�cor and gifts. Having studied interior design in college, Mantua offers interior design services.

She started her business in New Market, in Frederick County, but decided the store would be better suited to Hampden.
"I fell in love with the energy and all the people are so nice," Mantua says. "I always thought how much I'd love to have a store there. I just decided to pick up and go."

Though her first few days of opening were slow going, she is hoping business will pick up once word of her store gets around. The location, on Hampden's main thoroughfare, the Avenue, should get plenty of foot traffic, Mantua hopes.

"I love the location. I wanted to be right on the Avenue. I like sharing the area with other businesses," Mantua says.  

One of her goals with the store is to keep prices affordable so that young people like herself can afford to buy "cool vintage furniture." Currently, her most expensive item is $230 for a China cabinet.

She gets her goods from flea markets, barn sales and Craig's list.
"I take people's old, unwanted furniture and fix it up and paint it. It's kind of like recycling it."

She decided to start of small and give herself room to grow.
"I don't want to bite off more than I can chew," she says.

But she would like to expand someday.
"Right now it's pretty small and squished. I hope I could eventually get a bigger space with more room."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Justine Mantua, Fleurish Boutique

Hampden is home to Cafe Hon, a wine bar and a host of eclectic funky clothing boutiques.

But where's a new, eco-conscious mom to go to shop for her newborn?

Bayla Berkowitz has the answer, with Soft and Cozy Baby, which celebrated its grand opening April 11. The 500-square-foot store at 3610 Falls Rd. sells natural baby products, including cloth diapers, baby carriages, and books on pregnancy.

The store also offers classes on childbirth, car seat safety, using cloth diapers and breast feeding. Berkowitz hopes to eventually expand the offerings to include more classes and sell more clothing, toys, maternity and nursing products.

Many of the store's customers hail from nearby Charles Village and Roland Park. Berkowitz had been running the store out of her Pikesville home, but then wanted to branch out into a retail store.
 
As people are going green, more customers are asking for cloth diapers in particular. "We're growing and the demand for cloth diapers is increasing," Berkowitz says.

Berkowitz and her husband own the store and they have one employee.
"We're having a good response. We're getting new moms and a few families. "

She says the likes the Hampden neighborhood because she can draw from the surrounding communities and young families moving into the Hampden neighborhood.

"It's an up and coming neighborhood. A lot of people are saying there hasn't been a baby store in a while here. So we're excited about that," Berkowitz says.

Berkowitz declined to say how much she spent to open the store.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source, Bayla Berkowitz, Soft and Cozy Baby

A Scottish-themed restaurant chain that relies on a mix of suds, sports  and sex appeal plans to open five or six stores in Greater Baltimore over the next two years, investing about $8 million in the region.

Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery will debut its first restaurant at the Avenue at White Marsh Aug. 3, says the company's Vice President of Development Mark Hanby. The company will spend $1.3 million to open an 8,000-square-foot restaurant at 8133 Honeygo Blvd.

The Tempe, Ariz-based restaurant chain is also interested in opening restaurants at the Inner Harbor, Annapolis, Hanover and near Baltimore Washington International Airport.  It expects to hire up to 800 employees over the next two years and about 140 for the White Marsh location.

Tilted Kilt management liked the White Marsh's area's demographics. According to Baltimore County data, the town has about 213,000 residents who live within a five-mile radius and have an average household income of $60,000.

"The demographic is phenomenal there," Hanby says. The White Marsh store is about one-third larger than the typical store, which is about 6,000 square feet. "We think we'll be really busy. We think we can accommodate as many guests as possible."

Waitresses at the Tilted Kilt sport short tartan skirts and bare midriffs. The restaurant looks for the "girl-next-door cheerleader type," according to Hanby.

It's not just the scantilly-clad servers that bring in the crowds. "The costume gets people in the first couple of times but we have a great menu," Hanby says.

Menu items include the "Fat Bastard's" meatloaf sandwich � an open-faced meatloaf sandwich with a Guinness barbeque sauce � and Gaelic Chicken � chicken breasts with saut�ed mushrooms and onions, and an Irish Whiskey cream sauce. The restaurant also features 24 beers on tap.
Another draw are the plasma TVs. Each restaurant features around four dozen, 50-inch plasma TVs.


Source: Mark Hanby, Tilted Kilt
Writer:Julekha Dash

A business owner has breathed new life into a longtime favorite Hampden restaurant. Patrick Ito and Dan McIntosh reopened McCabe's April 23.  The 53-seat bar and restaurant at 3845 Falls Rd. closed a year ago under different owners.

Ito. who doubles as the restaurant's chef, says he has been updating the classic menu at McCabe's, known for its crab cakes, burgers and steaks, in order to add Hampden's hipsters crowd to the McCabe's devotees from Mount Washington and Pikesville. "We want to please the older customers and at the same time get a younger, fresher crowd without pushing either of the two away," says Ito.

The menu now includes several vegetarian options, including polenta lasagna with grilled vegetables and a fried eggplant sandwich with harisa tomato chutney and goat cheese. Lunch costs between $8 and $14, while a dinner entr�e costs between $14 and $26. "Before it was a classic menu that was a little outdated. I made it trendier and more accessible to people," he adds.

Ito is relying on local bakeries and farms, including Stone Mill Bakery in Lutherville and Hampstead's Spring Hill farm for his meat. "We've put some thought into where the food is being sourced from," Ito says.

Neither owner is a stranger to the Baltimore business community. Ito has worked as a chef at Mount Vernon's Copra and Ze Mean Bean in Fells Point.  McIntosh owns downtown live music joint Sonar.

The partners have spent the last eight months readying the place for customers, adding new paint, floors and redoing the bar and kitchen.
Ito declined to say how much the partners invested in the 800-square-foot restaurant. "It was more expensive than we thought and more difficult than we thought," he admits. 

Ito and McIntosh say they chose Hampden because it is full of thriving retailers and restaurants. "I love the area. There's plenty of potential there," Ito explains. "It's the happening area now."

Read more about what's happening in Hampden!

Source: Patrick Ito, McCabe's
Writer: Julekha Dash

Beehive Baltimore, a nine-month old community for freelancers and entrepreneurs, is moving into larger digs at Canton's Emerging Technology Center June 1. At 1,700 square feet, the new spot at 2400 Boston St. is 50 percent larger than the old office. The new space gives the Beehive the capacity to accommodate up to 31 people a day.

"I had my eye on it from the beginning," says Dave Troy, the facility's administrator. But the space only became available mid-April.

Beehive's popularity is part of a larger movement known as coworking, or the idea that independent professionals work better together than alone in their basements. The concept of coworking is gaining popularity in many cities around the world, according to Troy. "So many people who are freelancers are working from home," he says.

Starting a business and working from home can be isolating and makes it difficult for folks to keep up to date on best practices.  It's also tough to hold meetings.  Having a central facility for freelancers and entrepreneurs makes it easier to team up with the right people, Troy says.

Take the Beatles, for instance. The band's magic came from having the right combination of talented musicians in a shared space.  Similarly, the best business ideas get unleashed with you have the right blend of people bouncing ideas off one another, Troy says.

Some freelancers work in a caf�, but in that space people don't get to interact. "In this environment, you have the opportunity to get to know each other over time," Troy says. "In a caf�, everyone is trying ot to leave each other alone."

A Beehive membership runs $175 a month to work three days per week and $275 per month for daily access. Members can also purchase a day pass for $25.

Beehive Baltimore holds about 75 people in its membership database and gets about eight to 10 freelancers each day.  The current space allows for a maximum of 15 people a day.

Readmore from our coverage of Canton!

Source: Dave Troy, Beehive Baltimore
Writer: Julekha Dash

After working for other retailers for more than 20 years, collage artist Luana Kaufmann decided it was time to strike out on her own. The Baltimore native opened Emporium Collagia, a 300 square foot store in Fells Point.

The shop features a variety of home decor items including, custom framed collage giclees, collage designs, jewelry and a host of eclectic home goods, including soaps, Italian stationary and pencils made of twig.  Kaufmann also sells wine bottles that are sandblasted with words like knowledge, understanding, patience, and joy. Shoppers will also find candles for each of the 12 zodiac signs. When the candle has finished burning, the candleholder is now a shot glass and with a drink recipe.

After retail stints as a buyer for furniture stores Bluehouse and Tomlinson Craft Collection as well as with the sales department at Nordstrom, opening her own store allows Kaufmann to blend her retail experience with her artistic skills.

"It feels like an exciting integration of all the stuff that I've done," Kaufman says. "It's a neat integration of retail and display and merchandising that I adore. I love being a buyer."

Kaufmann says she felt Fells Point was the ideal neighborhood for the store. "It's one of the most charming neighborhoods in the city. There's lots of great buzz and vitality in the area."

The store is next to the Cat's Eye Pub and Ann Street Pier � a location Kaufmann enjoys. "I have an extraordinary view of the water," she says. 


What else is happening in Fells Point? Read more here!

Source: Luana Kaufmann, Emporium Collagia
Writer: Julekha Dash

Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood will soon be home to a brewpub that takes its inspiration from the Northern European country known for waffles and chocolates.

Paul Kopchinski, a Maryland Native who currently residents in New York City, will open De Kleine Duivel by July. Kopchinski will spend about $100,000 renovating the former Nutty Pub at 3520 Chestnut Ave.

With a Flemish mother whose family lives in Antwerp, Kopchinski says he knows a thing or two about Belgian food and drink. The menu will consist of classic Flemish and French dishes, includes mussels and French fries, or moules frites. Other items will include Flemish beef stew, fish stew and homemade chocolates and, of course, Belgian waffles.

Kopchinski, who attended the French Culinary Institute, will design the menu but will hire someone in to cook the food. He anticipates having five entrees and a couple of appetizers. As far as beer goes, De Kleine Duivel will only sell Belgian beers, about a dozen on draft and 30 bottles. Kopchinski will concentrate on smaller boutique brewers rather than the larger brands.
"It's a country that takes it beer very seriously," Kopchinski says of Belgium.

Kopchinski has hired woodwork artist Tim Ely to create Art Nouveau style lighting, furniture and paneling in the 1,000-square-foot space.
Why Art Nouveau? One of the originators of that style was a Belgian architect named Victor Horta.

Kopchinski moved out of Maryland 12 years ago after graduating college but was eager to return once he found the Hampden spot.
"It's sort of a homecoming for me," he says. "I looked at a lot of locations and the only place I would consider doing this in Hampden. It's almost like a small town that is right in the middle of a major city. There's a sense of community among business owners that appeals to me a lot."

The business ownerconsidered opening the brewpub in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York , but commercial real estate prices were too steep. Kopchinski also considered Frederick, Asheville, N.C., and Roanoke, Va. before settling on the spot that used to be the Nutty Pub.

Though the economy has not been kind to many restaurants, Kopchinski is confident that his Belgian brews will soak in the crowds.
"People like to drink in Baltimore. Drinking is recession proof. "

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Paul Kopchinski, De Kleine Duivel