hospitality : Development News

Pepe’s Pizza, a neighborhood hangout in Mount Washington for 34 years, is undergoing a $1.5 million expansion and renovation that will wrap up in August.

The makeover will include an expanded dining area with new wood floors, a new kitchen, bathroom heating, and second floor storage and an office for the restaurant’s catering business, Owner Andy Makris says. The 6,000-square-foot addition will bring 124 seats to the establishment and an outdoor patio. It currently seats 50.

Makris says he hopes to open a second location within the next five years.

The Pepe's Pizza building is run down, and the time is right for a new look, especially as more competition enters the market, Makris says. The Mt. Washington Tavern unveiled a $4 million renovation in the fall.

Makris says he is also renovating for his father, who was murdered in the restaurant 12 years ago. Two brothers are serving life in prison for the crime.

“This is something my dad and I planned,” he says. 

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Pepe’s attracts neighborhood residents, construction workers and parents and kids from the Gilman School.

Regulars include Sinclair Broadcasting Vice President Duncan Smith, who’s been known to grab a towel and clean his own table.

Makris is expanding the menu with more coffee selections, bagels, and Danish for the morning crowds. Makris says he is adding fried chicken for the construction crews, and more salads for female patrons.

“Thai salad. My wife says that’s what she eats when she goes out.”

Pepe’s employs 23. Makris says he isn’t sure if he will add staff.
 
Writer: Amy Landsman
Source: Andy Makris, Owner, Pepe’s Pizza

Maybe you've tried bar-hopping, but what about restaurant-hopping? Dishcrawl, which launches in Baltimore this month, dubs itself as a “gastronomic adventure” and encourages guests to try a variety of foods in selected neighborhoods.

Baltimore’s first Dishcrawl will be held in Canton April 17, taking diners to four “secret” restaurants. Founder Tracy Lee says the company will expand the culinary social experience to Fells Point, Federal Hill, Charles Village and Hampden, though no events have been scheduled yet. If Baltimore City crawls are successful, Lee says she will consider expanding Dishcrawl to Baltimore County.  

Lee launched Dishcrawl in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2010 as a way to share her favorite restaurants. Though it's now up and running in New York, Montreal, Ottawa, San Jose, Toronto, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., it wasn’t an instant success.

“In the beginning, it was really hard to figure out how to get the word out,” Lee says. “I would spend 20 hours promoting to get 20 people to an event.”

Lee turned to social media to help promote the crawls. She and her team, which includes ambassadors in each city, use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media outlets to spread the word.

“I love Baltimore and the diverse food scene,” Lee says. “The community and coming together as a group of foodies is what makes Dishcrawl successful in cities.”

Curious as to which Canton restaurants will be included in the inaugural crawl? Keep an eye on Twitter, where the team will drop hints at @dishcrawlbal. Ticket holders will receive an email with the meeting location 48 hours prior to the crawl.   

The first three restaurants will feature one dish each and the the fourth will serve dessert. Chefs and restaurateurs will share stories, as well. Tickets cost $45, excluding alcohol.


Writer: Renee Libby Beck
Source: Tracy Lee, Dishcrawl 

Ellicott City Main Street’s refurbished home goods and specialty foods store will soon offer a new tasty takeout option.

Randy & Steve's The New General Store will open its Italian-style deli at the end of April. Owners Randy Neely and Steve Archuleta’s menu will include sandwiches made with cured meats and international cheeses, soups, salads, desserts and teas. They will also carry organic milk, butter and farm fresh eggs from northern Maryland farms.

Neely and Archuleta will hold a Grand Opening April 27 with music, free massages and wine tastings from Pure Wine Cafe. A Vanns Spices’ rep will discuss the company’s products and a chef of Bittersweet Herb Farm will present cooking demos.

The New General Store currently sells soup and pesto mixes, truffle and olive oils, sodas, spices, honey and herbs stored in a 1904 meat cooler.  It also carries gifts and home spa items such as diffusers, lotions, soaps and candles.

Neely and Archuleta formerly owned The Good Life Market, an Ellicott City garden gift shop. They returned from a sabbatical in Portugal once they heard that Yate’s Market, a 127 year-old staple at 8249 Main St., was going out of business last June. Neely and Archuleta opened the New General Store in late September, promising former owner Betty Yates to preserve the vibe of Yate’s Market but incorporate elements of a boutique. Neely and Archuleta renovated the 2,380-square-foot space and are securing a food license and modern equipment.

Neely and Archuleta will use the basement for a garden room and other retail items and carry perennials, annuals and garden statues outside.
 
Writer: Jolene Carr
Source: Steve Archuleta, co-owner of Randy & Steve’s The New General Store

A new restaurant featuring food from the Chesapeake Bay is scheduled for a June opening at the Embassy Suites Hotel Baltimore Downtown. That means a food-and-drink menu showcasing crab-cake sliders, rockfish risotto, and Old Bay Bloody Marys. No word yet on the chef.

The 4,000-square-foot B’more Bistro and Lounge will seat more than 200 on the hotel’s second floor, according to April Deocariza, of Emanate Public Relations.The New York firm represents Hilton’s Embassy Suites.

The completely remodeled restaurant space replaces Tugs Restaurant and Bar, and will employ at least 20.

The new restaurant is geared primarily toward the hotel guests, but will hopefully be a however, gathering place for area residents and office workers, Deocariza says.

The 37-story, 300-room hotel will become the Embassy Suites Baltimore Downtown in May. Located at 222 St. Paul St., it's now the Tremont Suites Hotel & Grand Historic Venue. 

Part of the Hilton brand, Embassy Suites is known for two-room suites, free cooked-to-order-breakfasts and evening receptions.

The hotel property includes the Tremont Grand Historic Venue, which features 45,000 square feet of meeting space with 19 banquet rooms. The Tremont Grand banquet hall underwent a $27 million renovation in 2006.

The property is owned by Garrison Investment Group and Chartres Lodging, with Kokua Hospitality LLC as the manager.

This is Embassy’s third Maryland property, joining the Embassy Suites Baltimore in Hunt Valley and Embassy Suites Baltimore at BWI Airport.
 
Writer: Amy Landsman
Source: April Deocariza, Emantate Public Relations

Construction of the first two residential and retail buildings for massive Baltimore County development Metro Centre at Owings Mills will wrap up by next month. The first will open in May and the second will open at the end of June.

The buildings, called Metro Crossing, are both five-stories high, with retail on the ground floor and rental apartments on the upper floors. The buildings are mirror images of each other. The two buildings split evenly a total of 56,000 square feet of retail space and 232 one- and two-bedroom apartments. 

A number of retail leases are in final negotiations, says Lynn Abeshouse, managing principal of real estate brokerage firm Abeshouse Partners. Until contracts are signed, Abeshouse declined to give specific names but says possible tenants include fast-casual and white-table restaurants, clothing stores, liquor stores and health clubs. 
 
One-bedroom apartments average 770 square feet; two-bedroom apartments, which all have two full bathrooms, run from 873 square feet to 1,245 square feet. Prices for one bedrooms run from $1,580 to $1,695 per month; for two bedrooms, $1,855 to $2,490 per month. Abeshouse declined to say how many apartments have been leased so far. 
 
The two buildings are located on Grand Central Avenue, off Painters Mill Road, near the Owings Mills Metro Subway Station and across from the County Campus at Metro Centre at Owings Mills. The six-story combination Baltimore County Public Library and the Community College of Baltimore County building is scheduled to open this week. A free parking garage next to the building is already open.
 
The two residential and retail buildings, the library/community college building and an office building now under construction compose the first phase of the Metro Centre at Owings Mills. That's about one-fourth of the total development. The four-story, 200,000-square-foot office building on Grand Central Avenue is expected to open this fall.
 
The state-designated transit-oriented development will eventually have over 1.2 million square feet of office space; 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space; 1,700 residential units; and, a 250-room hotel. Maryland and Baltimore County have spent more than $57 million on infrastructure at Metro Centre at Owings Mills to date. The rest is privately funded.
 
Source: Lynn Abeshouse, Abeshouse Partners
Writer: Barbara Pash
 

A Baltimore company is developing a customer service training program for hopeful workers who want a shot at one of the 1,700 anticipated casino jobs when the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opens next year.
 
Parkway Hospitality Management CEO Michael Haynie says he also plans to lease a 5,000-square-foot office in South Baltimore near the casino site once the state approves the Maryland Academy of Hospitality Training program. State approval should come any day and the business will be up and running May 1, Haynie says.
 
The former managing director of Baltimore’s Tremont hotels, Haynie says he discussed with Visit Baltimore and Baltimore City officials about the lack of soft skills among local residents who will be applying for casino and other tourism jobs. Haynie says his long-term goal is to take the training program to other casinos in the state and develop more “hard skills” technical training in bartending and gaming. Horseshoe Casino General Manager Chad Barnhill says he has had discussions with Haynie and Baltimore City about how to find qualified casino employees, but he hasn't made any decisions.
 
Haynie says he hopes the academy will train 900 people a year to work either at the Caesars Entertainment casino in Baltimore or in other hospitality jobs in area restaurants and hotels. Classes will hold 30 to 40 people. Prospective trainees will be interviewed to make sure they possess the right personality for the industry and then go through a five-week program. Trainers will help them identify appropriate jobs in the casino, hotels and restaurants once they graduate.
 
State programs specifically earmarked for job training will hopefully help offset the $1,000 cost for the five-week training, Haynie says. He hopes to convince restaurant and hotel associations and their members to chip in as well. Students taking the class will pay $20 to $25 per week.
 
The two-story casino near M&T Bank Stadium will feature slot machines and table games. Three full-service restaurants and six locally owned eateries are also in the works. Environmentalists and area residents filed a lawsuit against the casino last month to delay construction, but a judge threw out the motion. 

Haynie says he isn't concerned about these type of setbacks. 

"Caesars is a very credible organization. Chad Barnhill is an experienced business person."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michael Haynie, Parkway Hospitality  

Baltimore may be the land of $1 Natty Bohs but a couple  of entrepreneurs are hoping people will pay upwards of $5 for a draft beer.
 
Dr. Matthew Earl and John Stein are spending $1 million to open World of Beer this summer at Locust Point’s McHenry Row residential and retail development. The 3,400-square-foot restaurant will open across from  supermarket Harris Teeter in a corner spot that faces Key Highway. It will seat 75 to 100 and feature additional seating on its patio.
 
Beers will cost $5 to as high as $50 for a Sam Adams Infinium, says Earl, a radiation oncologist at the University of Maryland and a beer lover.
 
World of Beer will feature 60 beers on tap and about 600 bottles of beer – but not your standard Budweisers or Coors. It will also serve wine, but not hard alcohol.
 
Earl says he hopes the pub will appeal to folks looking for a low-key alternative to some of boisterous bars in Federal Hill. And he says he thinks people will pay the higher prices to drink beers they wouldn’t otherwise get to try.
 
“This is unique opportunity to sample beers from around the world,” Earl says.
 
The bar will offer a limited food menu, including soft pretzels and stuffed sausages. The interior will feature high ceilings, a wood bar, large coolers with bottles on display, and a stained concrete floor. 
 
Live music will be played three nights a week and Earl says he is working with sound engineers so the music isn’t too loud.
 
“We’re not looking to be a place where you get trashed. We’re looking to be a place where you can enjoy a couple of beers and listen to some nice music.”
 
World of Beer is a fast-growing franchise based in Tampa, Fla. It recently opened its 37^th location in Denver. Currently, its closest location to Baltimore is in Arlington, Va.
 
So how did a doctor who treats cancer decide to tap into the beer market? Earl says he always wanted to open a restaurant, but decided to go the franchise route because the company gives you a formula to follow along with its expertise.
 
He says the bar will be privately funded.

Writer: Julekha Dash; @Julekha; [email protected]
Source: Matthew Earl, World of Beer

Things are hopping at the Peabody Heights Brewery.

The 50,000-square-foot Charles Village brewery produced its first beer in December, and is building up production, says Stephen Demczuk, one of three co-owners, along with J. Hollis B. Albert III and Patrick Beille.

Peabody is expected to reach its first year projection of 10,000 barrels this year, says Albert, also the brewery’s general manager. The co-owners’ long-range goal is hitting the 35,000-barrel mark. 

Peabody currently employs 6, but may hire additional staff for the warehouse.

“As we ramp up production, of course [hiring] is going to increase,” Demczuk says.  “We have to start slow.”

Peabody is a co-op brewery, which means it brews and distributes beer for local craft brewers. It currently produces three beers: Baltimore-Washington Beer Works’ Raven Beer, Full Tilt Brewing’s Baltimore Pale Ale and Red Center Amber from Public Works Ale. The beers can be found in liquor stores, restaurants and grocery stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. It will soon begin selling in West Virginia, California and New York. It's one of the many breweries and beer-themed restaurants that have been growing in Greater Baltimore. Another one is underway as investors ressurect the former Pabst Brewing Co. building in South Baltimore. 

Peabody Heights Brewery is located in the old Capital Beverage bottle plant at 401 East 30^th St., which moved out about three years ago. In April, the owners started the building overhaul. This includes installing an activated charcoal filter to remove chlorine and any impurities beer lovers don’t want in their brew.

“That’s the start of our beer, so our beer, batch to batch, is going to be consistent,” Albert says.

Currently, there is no Peabody Heights beer, but hopefully will be someday, Albert says.

**Correction. An earlier version of this story said that the brewery is hiring up to 80. It was based on incorrect information that was given to BmoreMedia. 

Writer: Amy Landsman
Sources: Stephen Demczuk, owner, Baltimore Washington Beerworks, co-owner Peabody Heights Brewing; J. Hollis B. Albert III, co-owner and general manager, Peabody Heights Brewing

South Baltimore’s gambling parlor will hold a steakhouse, two other full-service restaurants and a Baltimore food “marketplace” that represents Charm City’s local flavors.
 
That’s according to Chad Barnhill, general manager of the $400 million Horseshoe Casino Baltimore that will open at 525 Russell St. in the summer of 2014. CBAC Gaming LLC, a consortium led by Caesar’s Entertainment Corp. and Rock Gaming LLC, is spearheading the development of the 140,000-square-foot casino. 
 
CBAC Gaming will own the steakhouse and will partner with two restaurateurs for the other two eateries, one of who will be a celebrity chef, Barnhill says.
 
“We’re having great discussions with a celebrity chef,” says Barnhill, who declined to name the chef since the deal has not yet been finalized.
 
The Baltimore marketplace will feature six smaller food outlets with a common seating area as part of a 20,000-square-foot food hall showcasing some of the city’s most popular crab cakes, pizza and burgers.
 
“We want to really lease out the spots to Baltimore’s best. We’re working hard to be Baltimore’s casino by the offerings.”
 
The casino will break ground over the next several weeks, once it receives all of the permits, Barnhill says.

The two-story casino near M&T Bank Stadium will feature slot machines and table games and employ 1,700. Of those workers, 500 will work at the table games. The casino is also going for LEED certification. 

In November, Maryland voters approved the controversial measure to include table games at the state's casinos. The Hollywood Casino Perryville began featuring table games this month and Maryland Live casino at Arundel Mills will debut table games April 11. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Chad Barnhill, Horseshoe Casino 

The Northeast Market in East Baltimore began it first significant renovation in decades, a $2 million facelift that will take about  six months to complete.

The 36,000-square-foot market near Johns Hopkins Hospital will get new doors, facade, entrance, more seating and better lighting. A candy and flower stall in the front of the market that will hopefully create a more upscale look that is more inviting for visitors, says Casper Genco, executive director of the Baltimore Public Markets Corp. Genco says he'll relocate five tenants in order to make room for additional seating and new tenants.

The nonprofit oversees Baltimore’s public markets while the city owns the property. The Baltimore Public Markets Corp. is putting $750,000 toward the renovation. Another $300,000 is coming from Johns Hopkins University and Health System. It's also getting grant money from the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition Inc.
 
Modernizing the facility will hopefully appeal to Johns Hopkins Hospital staff and visitors. Genco says he will also look for opportunities to expand the market’s healthful food offerings and hopes that new menu boards will help visitors locate vendors who sell healthier fare.
 
The Avenue Market on Pennsylvania Avenue reopened in the fall with about $500,000 worth of renovations and seven new stalls. The Baltimore Public Markets Corp. also oversees Cross Street Market in Federal Hill and Broadway Market in Fells Point. 

“Each of these public markets is a focal point of the community,” Genco says.

Check out BmoreMedia's 2011 feature on Northeast Market and the companion audio piece. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Casper Genco, Baltimore Public Markets Corp. 

Life is hectic but sweet for an Anne Arundel county couple opening Kilwins ice cream and dessert shop franchises in Fells Point and Anne Arundel County’s Crofton.

Dave and Karen Gilmore will open the 1,500-square-foot Fells Point shop in May at 1625 Thames St. Located at the former site of children’s clothing boutique the Corduroy Button, the 20-person shop will sell fresh chocolates, chocolate-dipped apples, fudge and ice cream. The Corduroy Button, an upscale children’s clothing store, has moved a few doors down to 1636 Thomas Street.

Karen Gilmore says the Fells Point store, which will be next to aMuse toys, should appeal to both families and tourists.

Just under 1,300 square feet, the Crofton location will employ between as many as 20 when it opens in April.

“The point of going to a Kilwins store is really to experience with all your five senses, with the sights of products being made in the store,” Gilmore says.

Michigan-based Kilwins has been expanding in recent years, and now has more than 80 stores. Its one Maryland store is in Annapolis, though some locals may be familiar with the shop from their vacations in Florida or Rehoboth Beach, Del.

“We weren’t worried about people not knowing the brand, and the quality of the product,” Gilmore says. “I’d say about three-quarters of the people we’ve talked with either already know about it, or are really excited about the fact that there will be one in their neighborhood.”

Opening a Kilwins' franchise costs $40,000 for the initial franchise fee. Equipment, promotions, real estate and other expenses can run nearly $500,000.
 
Writer: Amy Landsman
Source: Karen Gilmore, co-owner Kilwins in Fells Point and Waugh Chapel

Come June, restaurant owner Dennis Sharoky won’t have to travel far to enjoy his own pizza.

Sharoky is spending $750,000 to open his fifth Coal Fire Pizza at Hunt Valley Towne Centre, not far from his northern Baltimore County home in Sparks. Sharoky says the 3,500-square-foot location will be completely renovated, and will feature a coal-burning oven made in Washington state and shipped to Hunt Valley. The restaurant will seat 80 and employ 30.

“I live in that area. Everyone I know asks ‘Why do I have Coal Fire’s everywhere else and not where I live?’” Sharoky says.

Sharoky owns Coal Fire restaurants in Ellicott City, Gaithersburg, Frederick, and Gambrills. Coal Fire is taking over the spot previously occupied by Carmine’s NY Pizzeria, which has closed. Anchored by Wegmans, Hunt Valley Towne Centre's tenants include Calvert Wine & Spirits, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Dick's Sporting Goods and Plow & Hearth. 

Coal fire has a 900-degree oven that chars the pizza.

“It’s a lot of work to get it charred," Sharoky says. "It takes a lot of training to work a coal oven. There’s a lot of hot spots in the oven, you have to rotate it. You have to pay attention to it,” says Sharoky, who trains his pizza chefs in house.

In addition to the pizzas, Coal Fire also uses the coal ovens to bake chicken wings.

Coal Fire features fresh mozzarella, made in-house daily, and a choice of three homemade sauces, a traditional Italian plum tomato sauce, a signature sauce sweetened with a little honey and with just a touch of heat, and a spicy sauce.

Writer: Amy Landsman
Source: Dennis Sharoky, principal owner of Coal Fire Pizza

Harris Teeter is opening its Ellicott City store April 3, according to a company spokeswoman, even as the North Carolina grocer considers a sale to two private equity firms.

It does not yet have an opening date for its Canton Crossing shop to open in a shopping center along with Target, Michael's, Five Below and local Greek restaurant Samos. The company says in a statement that it will "continue its strategic, new store growth plan." 

The grocery store will anchor a $22 million open-air shopping center called Town Square at Turf Valley. The site will also feature three or four restaurants and 10 to 15 shops totaling 100,000 square feet, says Tom Fitzpatrick, president of Owings Mills developer Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp.

The 48,000-square-foot Ellicott City Harris Teeter will be the grocer's eighth Maryland store. It opened a store in Baltimore City late last year, anchoring Locust Point’s McHenry Row. The Turf Valley store will employ 115, Jones says.

Located at the Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center, the new shopping center will have many of the same features as Greenberg’s Hunt Valley Towne Centre and Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole, including an outdoor gathering space with fireplace and water fountains. It will feature all-brick landscaping and exterior.

Fitzpatrick says he hopes the 100,000-square-foot center will draw from Clarksville, Glenelg and other affluent communities in western Howard County.

Restaurants will be of the upscale casual variety, rather than fine dining, Fitzpatrick says. He declined to name the restaurants and shops slated to open until a formal announcement is made later this year.

The Turf Valley site will also include a separate office complex, 160,000 square feet of office space, 150 townhomes and 192 condominiums built by the Keelty Co. of Stevenson. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Tom Fitzpatrick, Greenberg Gibbons; Danna Jones, Harris Teeter

No pots, pans or cooking gadgets? No problem.
 
The Clark Associates Companies will be opening a Restaurant Store location at 121 Kane St. in East Baltimore by mid-March. The location is near Patterson Park and Johns Hopkins Bayview.
 
The 57,200-square-foot retail store and warehouse will carry everything from napkins, utensil, fryers, stockpots restaurant supplies and equipment for individuals, restaurants, schools and the food service industry. Items will cost anywhere from 10 cents to $10,000.
 
The Restaurant Store will be a cash and carry shop, meaning customers will be able to find most of their items in store and pay with check, cash or credit, Bechtold says. The warehouse will have 60,000 items in stock and those that aren’t will take about two days to ship.

Clark Associate’s parent company Calumet Enterprises bought the building for $2 million from F&M Development LLC last year, according to state property records.
 
The Baltimore Restaurant Store will be Clark Associates’ seventh location, with six others in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Baltimore store will hire 15 employees. Maryland seemed like a natural place to expand as the Lancaster, Pa., company grows in the mid-Atlantic, Marketing Manager Melissa Bechtold says. The other locations mainly do business with local, family owned restaurants, but also have corporate customers like Sheetz, Starbucks and Sonic, Controller Brad Fortna says. If all goes well in Baltimore, the company may open a location near Washington, D.C., next.
 
 
Writer: Jolene Carr
Source: Melissa Bechtold, marketing manager at Clark Associates; Brad Fortna, controller at Clark Associates
 

One sells center-cut prime ribeye for $47.
 
The other sells panang red curry with crushed peanuts for $14.50.
 
But both downtown restaurants Morton’s the Steakhouse and Ban Thai have renovated their Charles Street properties as more competition eats into Baltimore diners’ wallets. They’re the latest Baltimore eateries to redo their space within the past year, along with the 13^th Floor, Greektown’s Ikaros, J. Paul’s and others. 
 
Morton’s has jetted its men’s cigar-club look with dark woods in favor of a black-and-silver Art Deco-style interior. The first facelift the restaurant at 300 S. Charles St. has gotten in 15 years, it includes several crystal chandeliers, new flat-screen TVs, plush chairs and a new bar area.
 
The Baltimore Morton’s is the chain’s second location in the mid-Altantic to revamp its space, says Stephen Carcamo, general manager for the Baltimore restaurants. The first was Washington, D.C.
 
“It’s a fresh new look for the Morton’s image,” Carcamo says. He declined to say how much the company spent on the facelift. Privately held Landry’s Inc. recently purchased the steakhouse chain.
 
Ban Thai meanwhile has installed new floors, tables and chairs last month, Owner Xiong Zhi Wang says. The restaurant has applied for a new liquor license that would allow it to stay open on Sundays.
 
“For 20 years it stayed the same,” Wang says. “I’m still young. I can do something else to make it grow.”

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Stephen Carcamo, Morton's; Xiong Zhi Wang, Ban Thai

All photographs courtesy of Morton's The Steakhouse