For Foodies : Development News

Annapolis residents who have an appetite for red velvet pancakes, fried-green tomatoes, and sweet potato fries will soon get their fill of the comfort food.

Miss Shirley’s will open its third location at Park Place, a residential, office, and dining complex in the downtown state capital whose tenants include a Westin hotel and Fado Irish Pub.

Owner Eddie Dopkin says he spent $2 million to open the 155-seat restaurant. Much of that money was spent gutting four spaces that once held shops, including a former Starbucks and a jewelry store.

But Dopkin says he thinks the dough will pay off: Many of his Roland Park restaurant customers make the trek from their homes in Anne Arundel County. The other Miss Shirley’s is located in downtown Baltimore.

The menu at Park Place will be the same as the others, but with a more contemporary design. It will also be the first Miss Shirley’s to house a standalone bar, where diners can order mimosas to go with their brunch or a glass of wine at lunch.

Meanwhile, Dopkin says he expects to begin construction on the expansion of the Roland Park Miss Shirley’s Feb. 1. Adding 50 seats, more restrooms, and a larger waiting area will take about two months. The restaurant is taking over the School of Rock Baltimore space.

Dopkin has also applied for a liquor license to serve beer and wine for S’ghetti Eddie’s, his Roland Park pizza and wings joint.


Writer:Julekha Dash
Source: Eddie Dopkin

WhiteWave Foods Co., the maker of Horizon milk and other dairy foods, will open a sales office in Columbia by the end of the year.

The Broomfield, Co., company’s 4,000-square-foot office will be located at the Columbia Corporate Park at 8850 Stanford Blvd. The company signed a lease with Merritt Properties Inc.

The office will support customers on the East Coast, says Sara Loveday, a spokeswoman for the company. The office will employ eight initially, of whom five are new employees. The plan is to hire another four.

WhiteWave’s brands also include Silk Soymilk, flavored creamer International Delight and Half & Half under the Land O’Lakes brand name, licensed from the Arden Hills, Minn., company.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Sara Loveday, WhiteWave

A new hotel near Arundel Mills could begin a $25 million expansion in a couple of years to meet the demand for rooms the owners expect once a slots casino opens.

The 150-room Hotel at Arundel Preserve could add another 100 rooms, says hotel General Manager Jeff Makhlouf. Construction would not begin until 2012.

The expansion would occur in a lot next to the boutique hotel.

Makhlouf describes the property as a “unique” product in an area that holds largely chain brands. The rooms are about two-thirds full now, but Makhlouf expects occupancy to hit 85 percent once the Cordish Co. builds its casino and entertainment complex next year.

If it doesn’t expand the hotel, developer Southern Management will build a Class A office building instead, Makhlouf says. It depends on whether it can get an anchor tenant to occupy the first few floors of the building.

The Vienna, Va., company is now conducting a feasibility study to determine the best use.

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve is part of a $150 million development that includes 242 apartments and several restaurants. The 156-seat Grillfire restaurant opened in July. Indian restaurant Rangoli will open in the next couple of months.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Jeff Makhlouf, Hotel at Arundel Preserve

Baltimore City’s liquor board has granted Baltimore’s long-awaited five star Four Seasons Hotel a liquor license for its two restaurants, room service, and a rooftop pool bar.

The 256-room hotel is expected to open next month at 701 Aliceanna St. in Baltimore’s swanky Harbor East neighborhood. The restaurants will include outdoor seating and live entertainment, according to the license application.

Wit and Wisdom, a Tavern by Michael Mina, will be its signature eatery, serving comfort food and featuring a live-fire grill and rotisseries. The 156-seat eatery will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The 136-seat Japanese restaurant Pabu will open February 2012. Pabu will feature sushi, small plates, 100 types of sake, bamboo ceilings, and solid wood tabletops.

The pool bar will seat 45 on a terrace overlooking the Inner Harbor. The Four Seasons will also feature a coffee shop called Lamill Coffee.

The hotel applied for what is known as a “Class B” hotel license for properties with at least 100 rooms and a $500,000 investment.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Four Seasons

A running store, sub shop, and dentist are latest tenants to sign up for McHenry Row, an office, residential, and retail complex debuting this year in Locust Point.

Charm City Run and Horizon Dental will open in January, says developer Mark Sapperstein. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is expected to open by the end of the year.

It will be the local running store’s fifth location. The others are located in Bel Air, Timonium, Annapolis, and Clarksville. McHenry Row’s anchor tenant, Harris Teeter, will open Dec. 7.

The retail portion of the development is now 90 percent leased, Sapperstein says. Two spots totaling 7,200 square feet remain.

The Green Turtle Sports Bar & Grille, Yogi Castle, Red Parrot Asian Bistro, pet store Dogma, and Massage Envy are among the other shops opening this year.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Mark Sapperstein

A renovation and expansion are in the works for Belvedere Square market as existing stores expand and new ones join the mix next year.

Among the new tenants is Wurst, a shop selling German and Austrian-style hot dogs and sausages. Nelson Carey, owner of Belvedere Square’s Grand Cru wine bar, is spearheading the new venture to open by venture to open in March. Carey says he has scoured the nation to bring Belvedere Square patrons the best dogs from New York, Chicago, and other areas.

Why hot dogs? "Everyone loves hot dogs," Carey says.

Wurst is one of four new tenants coming to the market, says Bill Struever, managing director of Belvedere Square property manager Cross Street Partners. Struever declined to name the other three vendors as leases haven’t been signed.

In the coming months, several existing tenants will expand. They include sushi eatery Ikan, Atwater’s, and Neopol Savory Smokery. The market will close for a period next year to make way for the expansion and new tenants. The market hours will also be extended by an hour or two, closing at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. at night, Struever says. Cross Street plans to also extend the sidewalk to double the outdoor seating capacity.

Elsewhere at Belvedere Square, Sofi’s Crepes will open next month in the former Starbucks spot on York Road. The creperie is moving its shop from downtown Baltimore's Women's Industrial Exchange to the North Baltimore shopping center. Its flagship store next to the Charles Theater will remain open.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Nelson Carey, Grand Cru; Bill Struever, Cross Street Partners

A former Under Armour executive has found a new mission by selling Texas-style brisket, pulled pork sandwiches, and ribs rubbed with old bay seasoning.

William Kraus, former senior vice president of marketing at Under Armour, and former Outback Steakhouse executive Steve Newton opened Mission BBQ this month at 7748 Ritchie Hwy. in Glen Burnie. The business partners traveled the country in search of the nation’s best barbecue before opening their 100-seat restaurant.

The restaurant does have a mission besides serving up smoked meats. The décor honors military men and women, firefighters, and police. The business also donates some of its revenue to wounded soldiers and the USO.

“It’s given us a purpose to say the least,” Kraus says of the restaurant. “There’s nothing more American than barbeque.”

The owners hope to open another barbeque restaurant in Howard County — where the owners live — and other areas of Maryland and around the country.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: William Kraus, Mission BBQ

An Illinois restaurant company will be dishing out contemporary American cuisine in Harbor East next year.

Townhouse Kitchen and Wine Bar will open at the Eden apartment building at 777 S. Eden St. during the first quarter of 2012, says Margaret Meginniss, a principal at retail brokerage firm Sierra Mid-Atlantic. The area is home to a bevy of high-end condos and swanky restaurants and, soon, a Four Seasons hotel.

Based in Glenview, Ill., Restaurants-America Consulting Group Inc. operates Townhouse and six other restaurant concepts. The 8,000-square-foot Baltimore restaurant will be Restaurants-America’s fourth Townhouse. The others are located in Deerfield and Chicago, Ill., and Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Menu items at the Chicago restaurant include jerk red snapper ($16), halibut piccata ($22), and penne diablo ($13). Ahi tacos ($11), jalapeno bacon-wrapped shrimp ($12) and surf & turf sliders ($12) are listed under its small plates.

“It’s a contemporary concept that’s very sexy,” Meginniss says.

And it’s possible that the restaurant firm, which operates about 15 eateries to date, will open another in the Greater Baltimore area. Sierra represents Restaurants-America nationally.

Midtown, Bluepoint, Red Star Tavern, One North, the Grillroom, and Primebar are Restaurants-America’s other concepts.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Margaret Meginniss, Sierra

A new stars-and-stripes-themed restaurant has opened in Canton, featuring chicken wings, fried mac and cheese, and New York strip steak.

Alex van Breukelen and wife Jennifer opened the Americana earlier this summer at 900 Kenwood Ave., just off Canton Square. The spot once held Tiburzi's Italian Grill and Caf�.

With 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps under his belt, van Breukelen says he naturally felt drawn to a d�cor that consists of American flags, military memorabilia, and a copy of the Constitution hanging on the walls. Van Breukelen says he saw an opportunity to open a "community-friendly" bar and restaurant that could stand out among club-like venues in the area.

The 2,000-square-foot restaurant seats 120, including the patio, and features eight flat-screen televisions. It's open for lunch and dinner.

Other menu items include fried green tomato, fennel and duck, spicy salmon jalapeno poppers, and maple mustard pork tenderloin.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Alex van Breukelen

Fans of Phillips Seafood can expect to hear musicians strumming a guitar or hitting the piano keys when its new location opens at Cordish Cos.' Power Plant development.

The 17,000-square-foot restaurant will replace the shuttered ESPNZone and marks a major move for the iconic Maryland restaurant that has anchored Harborplace for 31 years.

The Power Plant location will open late October, says Phillips' Senior Vice President John Knorr.

A crab deck open from April to October will feature live acoustic guitar while the lobby will feature a piano bar. Restaurant executives hope that live music will keep guests longer, Knorr says. Music played on the floating barge will also hopefully draw attention to the restaurant.

Shifting east on the Inner Harbor will put Phillips closer to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the area's top tourist attraction. Both Phillips and the aquarium get a lot of business from families.  

Phillips will hire up to 250 to staff the restaurant, with peak employment in the summer. The location will seat 500, with about 200 outdoors.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. will replace Phillips' Harborplace location, set to close at the end of September.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: John Knorr, Phillips

Larry Schwartz is hoping Arbutus will become the next Catonsville.

With restaurants like the Catonsville Gourmet, the Baltimore County town has earned a modest reputation as a dining destination for suburbanites. Schwartz is hoping his new 35-seat restaurant at 1332 Sulphur Spring Rd. in Arbutus will lead the way to a similar dining revolution in that town.

With most of his career spent in the catering industry, Schwartz was eager to use his cooking experience to finally open his own restaurant. Larry's 1332 serves lunch and dinner and provides catering.

The restaurant serves homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, yellowfin tuna, crab cakes, and crab hash. His soup selections include a corn-and-crab chowder and a watermelon soup with mint and feta cheese.

Schwartz has renovated the interior of the former corporate lunchbox business to include a lapis lazuli tile floor, bench seating in the bay windows, and black-framed mirrors. 

The location will hopefully draw folks working at nearby Saint Agnes Hospital and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Schwartz says.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Larry Schwartz, Larry's 1332

Three local businessman, including a physician, plan to open six create-your-own stir-fry restaurants, the first of which will open in the Can Company this fall.

The partners will invest $350,000 to $550,000 to open each BangBang Mongolian Grill location, says Dr. Shawn Dhillon, who practices internal medicine at Union Memorial Hospital. That makes for a total investment of $2.1 million to $3.3 million for the new businesses.

BangBang Mongolian Grill will replace the former Austin Grill, which closed nearly a year ago at The Can Company. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 140. Lunch will cost $10 and dinner around $15.

The second Mongolian grill will open at 15752 Annapolis Rd. in the fall. Dhillon expects the remaining four spots to open by the end of next summer. Dhillon and his partners, John Stautzenbach and Bob Bernotas, are scouting locations in Baltimore and Harford Counties, including Hunt Valley, Timonium, and Bel Air. The partners are eyeing strip malls anchored by a grocery store and open-air malls.

Dhillon says his professional focus on managing cardiovascular disease drew him to what he believes is a healthy dining option. Diners at BangBang Mongolian Grill get to choose how much beef, poultry, seafood, vegetables, or noodles are in their dish to suit their dietary needs. Dessert options will include a frozen yogurt bar.

Baltimore's BangBang Mongolian Grill is an affiliate of a restaurant in Iowa.
 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Dr. Shawn Dillon, BangBang Mongolian Grill

The Corner Stable, a family-owned restaurant in Cockeysville, is opening a second restaurant in the King's Contrivance Village Center in Columbia in October.

Known for its ribs and crab cakes, the 6,000-square-foot restaurant will replace longtime local watering hole Michael's Pub that closed earlier this year.

Co-owner Charles "Chip" Reed says he plans to hire between 65 and 85 full-time workers to staff the new restaurant. Reed says he and his wife Randy Reed have been scouring the Greater Baltimore region for a second location for years. They said they settled on Columbia because they thought a family-owned restaurant and bar could stand out among the area's many chain establishments. And many of the area's restaurants are bustling on the weekends.

There's also ample parking in the shopping center, which includes Harris Teeter, a CVS pharmacy, and a consignment shop, Reed says.

Close to Routes 29 and 32 and Interstate 95, the location will hopefully draw folks who live in Ellicott City, Laurel, Elkridge, and Silver Spring.

Reed says he plans to spruce up the interior with large-screen televisions and a pool table. His nephew Bryan Hiller will manage the restaurant.

The Corner Stable in Cockeysville opened in 1971. The Reeds have owned it for 10 years.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Charles "Chip" Reed, Corner Stable

A Baltimore area entrepreneur hopes to find sweet success by turning a childhood treat into a business.

Nikki Lewis will sell a variety of rice krispies treats at Mallow Munchies caf�. She'll spend about $50,000 to open the Rosedale dessert shop inside a strip mall at 8767 Philadelphia Rd.

She's giving the dessert an upgrade with ingredients like Belgian dark chocolate. The Trail Munch features dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds while the Toffee Nut Munch is made with salted cashews and toffee. The desserts were named best sweet snack by Baltimore magazine last year.

Since cupcakes have been all the rage in recent years, fancy rice krispies treats should offer a good alternative for sweet tooths, Lewis says. The entrepreneur has made some inroads with restaurants, caf�s, and grocery stores. Whole Foods Market in the mid-Atlantic has agreed to sell the sweets. So far, the Whole Foods in Baltimore's Harbor East sells them, with others to follow.

Zeke's Coffee, Grilled Cheese & Co., Eddie's Market of Charles Village, and Milk and Honey Market Baltimore sell the confections as well. You can also find the treats at Baltimore area farmers' markets.

Lewis is raising some of the money to fund the caf� on Kickstarter.com, a website that allows individuals to raise money for creative projects.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Nikki Lewis

After two years at the helm of downtown restaurant Maisy's, Matt Helme has decided to give the place a face lift.

In the fall, he plans to add better lighting and will redo the downstairs lounge with new custom-made tables.

Helme recently hired Cyrus Keefer, whose French-inspired cuisine will be featured in a new menu soon. Keefer has worked at Rehoboth Beach restaurants Espuma, Nage, and Eden. He also recently won the People's Choice award at the B&O American Brasserie's Crab Bash for his blue crab and white corn ravioli.

Maisy's menu currently includes house-smoked wings, bison tartar, brick-oven pizza, and seafood paella.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Matt Helme, Maisy's