for foodies : Development News

The smell of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella will soon be wafting in the building that once held popular neighborhood Eastern Avenue bar Kelly's.

Richard Pugh and business partners Steve Ball will open Johnny Rad's Pizzeria Tavern at 2108 Eastern Ave. within the next month. And at the request of community members, Pugh promises that the Upper Fells Point restaurant will feature karaoke just as Kelly's did.

The 2,000-square-foot restaurant will serve Neapolitan-style pizza with fresh, crushed tomatoes and herbs. Pugh has put his own twist to the Neapolitan crust � pizza with a thin center but with thick edges.

In addition to vegetarian options, pizza toppings will include cured meats such as prosciutto, sopressata, and, hopefully, Italian sausage from Di Pasquale's Italian Marketplace in Highlandtown.

The business partners spent more than $60,000 to renovate the 60-seat restaurant.

How did they come up with the name? Johnny Rad's is the name of a lounge singer in the 1987 movie "The Search for Animal Chin." As you might have guessed, the owners are big skateboarding fans and their love for the recreation will be reflected in the d�cor, with skateboarding murals.

In addition to pizza, the restaurant will serve entr�e salads, burgers and unusual bar bites, including edamame with sea salt, hush puppies and black bean hummus.

Pizzas will cost between $8 and $20, depending on the toppings.

Pugh says he chose the neighborhood because it has been lacking a pizza joint and the location is in between the two bustling neighborhoods of Fells Point and Canton.

Victor Corbin, president of the Fells Prospect Community Association, agrees that the area could use a pizza place.

"We're looking forward to him opening up," Corbin says. "It's added activity in that section of the community."

For more information on Fells Point, click here.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Richard Pugh, Johnny Rad's

In the Middle Ages, alchemists sought to transform ordinary metals into gold. Now, a couple from Harford County hopes to conjure the same spell to bring in business at their new Hampden restaurant Alchemy.

Debi Bell-Matassa and Michael Matassa expect the eatery at 1011 W. 36th St. to open the first week of August. "We want to create something magical on the plate," Bell-Matassa says.

Dishes include house-smoked trout crepe, snapper with pancetta and butternut squash soup. Bell-Matassa will bake all the pastries and desserts in house. Brunch items will include cinnamon rolls with cream cheese Limoncello frosting and a breakfast souffl�.

A graduate of Napa's Culinary Institute of America, Bell-Matassa caters a lot of weddings and bah mitzvahs and her corporate clients include Boordy Vineyards and Northrup Grumman.

The couple are investing $225,000 to open the restaurant, the bulk of which was spent to purchase kitchen equipment and redo the heating system. 

Restaurant owner Alan Suissa wants to take you on a trip to North Africa.
And you won't need your passport.

Suissa and business partner Kenny Mahil opened French-Moroccan restaurant Tangiers Bistro Bar and Martini Lounge earlier this month in the Canton neighborhood.

Born in Casablanca, Suissa wanted to recreate the cuisine of his French Moroccan Jewish heritage. What makes it distinct from traditional Morrocan fare is that that is spicier and relies heavily on cumin and less on dried fruits like apricots and prunes.

The small plates, or mezze, dishes include fried spicy eggplant, grilled lamb and beef sausage and salmon tagine. The dishes cost between $5 and $11. Suissa's grandmother, who was born in Tangiers, is the inspiration for the food, along with his mom and aunt who work in the kitchen.

Suissa and Mahil spent about $100,000 to renovate the 200-seat Canton spot at 845 S. Montford Ave.  Suissa declined to say how much the partners paid for the property, formerly Red Fish restaurant. The 5,000-square-foot building is valued at about $474,000, according to state property records.

Having worked for the World Bank and the Washington Post Co.'s food and beverage divisions, Suissa is now making his first foray into the Baltimore market.

He liked the heavily trafficked location, facing Boston Street and in between Fells Point and Canton Square. He also likes the waterfront location.

"I fell in love with the building and location," Suissa says. "I heard from many people that the area is up and coming."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Alan Suissa, Tangier's

An ice cream company in Montgomery County is licking its way into the Greater Baltimore market, with plans to open three stores in July.

Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co. also has it sights set on a fourth store at the Maryland House in Harford County's Aberdeen next year.
The Silver Spring company hopes to eventually become the dominant retail ice cream shop in Greater Baltimore.

The new stores in downtown Baltimore will open at the Charles Plaza food court at 222 N. Charles St. and apartment complex Horizon House at 1101 N. Calvert St. The third will open at Towson Town Center, 825 Dulaney Valley Rd. Each store will employ between eight and 10 workers.

"Baltimore no longer has a home grown ice cream brand," says Luke Cooper, managing director of Deal Metrics LLC, the venture capital firm that operates Gifford's.  "We want to become that brand."

Cooper describes the Towson Town Center store as its flagship location. The company plans to carry its full line of flavors at the 600-square-foot shop.  Cooper expects that the store will get steady foot traffic year-round and thus less prone to the seasonal dips that are typical for ice cream shops.
"Hopefully we won't have the dry months in the winter," Cooper says.

Cooper says the Charles Plaza food court was appealing because it attracts a wide cross-section of Baltimoreans � from doctors to lawyers to city workers and janitors.
"There's a great confluence of eclectic backgrounds and people eating there," Cooper says.

Gifford's invests between $300 to $500 per square foot on each store, Cooper says. So for a 600 square foot store, the company will spend between $180,000 to $300,000 for a 600-square-foot store. The Baltimore City stores will be smaller, at around 230 to 400 square feet.

While some other Baltimore ice cream companies have shrunk their retail presence in recent years, Gifford's executives think they can stay ahead by keeping their shops small � and expenses low � and getting the best prices from their suppliers.

In February, Gifford's opened an outlet at the Inn at Colonnade hotel in Charles Village. The company has four Washington, D.C.,-area locations.

Starting next year, the company could open stores in additional Maryland travel plazas, operated by concessionaire HMS Host Corp.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Luke Cooper, Gifford's

Dick's Last Resort, � known for its irreverent waitresses, semi-tropical setting and wacky d�cor � will open its eighth restaurant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor June 28.

About one-third of the 9,000-square-foot restaurant will be used for outdoor seating on a dock to be built on the Inner Harbor pier, says Ralph McCracken, president and chief operating officer of Nashville, Tenn.,-based DLR Restaurants LLC.

Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., the Inner Harbor restaurant will serve lunch and dinner, with live, classic rock music every night.

Servers have to "audition" for the position, to make sure they are wisecracking and sassy enough to work for Dick's, McCracken says. They also have to know how to make a paper hat to give diners while they eat.

While at most restaurant,s the average table holds three to four persons, Dick's attracts parties between six and eight. Groups are the restaurant's prime market, including bachelorette parties, families on vacation, convention attendees and sports fans. The Inner Harbor location was ideal for the restaurant chain since it attracts tourists and is convenient to the convention center and baseball stadium, McCracken says.

Located next to Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Hard Rock Caf� at the Cordish Co.'s Power Plant development, the restaurant will employ 130.

The Baltimore restaurant will be outfitted with motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and a mural painted by a local artist of the namesake mascot "Dick" in a boat fishing with a keg of beer.

Dick's Last Resort's other restaurants are located in Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
A 9th restaurant will open this year in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

McCracken declined to say how much the company is investing in the new restaurant.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Ralph McCracken

An Ohio restaurant chain that bills itself as an all American bar and grill opened June 10 at Annapolis Towne Centre. The 10,000-square-foot Cadillac Ranch features a mechanical bull and piped in classic and modern rock.

Situated on the second floor, between 24 Hour Fitness and Ziki Japanese Steakhouse, the location ought to get plenty of mall traffic, says Eric Schilder, director of operations and marketing for Cadillac Ranch.

Schilder likes the fact that the outdoor mall holds a variety of restaurants, from Chinese, to seafood to Italian. "People want to go where there is variety," he says. The outdoor mall is also close to several hotels, which will hopefully bring tourists and business travelers to the restaurant, he says.

The restaurant's main attraction -- aside from the food, of course -- are the bull rides that take place at 9 p.m. nightly. The unusual spectacle attracts office parties and reunions, according to the company.

Located at 2505 Riva Road., Annapolis Towne Centre is a $500 million retail, office and residential complex that houses a Main Street-style town center. Developed by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp., its other stores include Whole Foods Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Brio Tuscan Grill and Target.

Annapolis marks the 11th location for Cadillac Ranch. Other cities include Miami, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. Its spot at National Harbor prompted Cadillac Ranch officials to consider opening another Maryland spot, Schilder says.

Schilder declined to say how much the company spent to open the 400-seat restaurant, but add that restaurant officials hope to open another Cadillac Ranch in Maryland and Washington, D.C, but do not know yet when and where that would be."We're looking aggressively but there's no time frame," Schilder says.

The restaurant houses 30 plasma TVs, attracting the spots crowd. Cadillac Ranch serves pasta, fish and steaks that cost anywhere between $7 and $28. The restaurant employs 110.


Source: Eric Schilder, Cadillac Ranch
Writer: Julekha Dash

Erica Russo is no stranger to the restaurant business.

Her parents have worked in the industry and currently own Edie's Deli & Grill in downtown Baltimore. Russo herself has managed several restaurants, including the Greene Turtle and Carrabba's Italian Grill. She also spent two years working in the finance department of a marketing firm.

But now Russo finally thinks it's time to strike out on her own -- just not from an office. She and her parents, Eva and Jimmy Chin, opened the Point in Fells May 28  (where Miss Irene's was once located) at 1738 Thames Street with a staff of 30. "It's more rewarding when it's your place," Russo says.

Serving both small and large plates, the Point is a gastro pub and bistro that has a bar with TV screens downstairs for sports fans and a white tablecloth restaurant upstairs. The eclectic menu includes tuna ceviche, a mushroom salad with udon noodles, duck breast and arctic char. Large plates cost between $18 and $24 while small plates cost between $10 and $14.

Russo relies on local purveyors including Martin Seafood Co., Fells Point Wholesale Meat and Fig Leaf Farm to supply the 200-seat restaurant. Russo says she is not concerned that the previous restaurant closed in less than a year.

"That was a different restaurant with different ownership. You just have to have the right concepts and the right people to do it," Russo says.

She is getting help in the areas of customer service and payroll from her mom and dad. The restaurateur hopes she can attract a mix of tourists and businessmen and women to the waterfront locale. "I just fell in love with the spot. It overlooks the water and gets lot of foot traffic," Russo says. 

Source: Erica Russo, the Point in Fells Point
Writer: Julekha Dash

Owning your own winery involves more than sipping whites and reds all day. It's farming, after all, and thus, a lot of manual labor, says John Wilkerson, who, with his wife, Denise McCloskey, started DeJon Vineyards.
 
"It's hands on in the vineyard, pruning and pulling leaves," Wilkerson says.

The couple started planting grapes three years ago after spending $400,000 to convert their cattle and hay farm. The couple has converted the barn into a 2,400-square-foot tasting room.

DeJon currently bottles five wines, two whites and three reds that sell for between $14 and $20. The varietals include a merlot, chardonnay and a chambourcin.  The vintners are selling the wines at their winery at 5300 Hydes Rd., the Valley Wine Shop in Baldwyn, and at festivals.

But Wilkerson says the hard work is worth it because he enjoys talking to people about wine. DeJon joins Maryland's expanding list of wineries. The Free State currently has 41 wineries that sold $15.4 million in wine last year, according to the Maryland Wineries Association. The wineries sold 1.4 million bottles last year, a 3 percent increase over 2008.

The couple have bottled 540 cases of wine since April 3 and are promoting their grapes at wine festivals such as Howard County's Wine in the Woods and Great Grapes at Oregon Ridge.

The 45-acre Hydes winery will open to the public June 23 with a Wednesday night event, Wine Up Wednesday, that includes wine tasting, music and food from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Though it's back-breaking work, being in the wine business has its perks, Wilkerson says. He enjoys talking to fellow wine enthusiasts about his grapes and his property's location, next to a horse farm and the site of a wetland conservation area.

"We have one of the nicest views in Baltimore County. It's very nice to enjoy the scenery and bring a picnic lunch."

Source: John Wilkerson, DeJohn Vineyards
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

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

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

Baltimore might be 958 miles from Miami, but that hasn't stopped a small business owner from bringing some South Beach flair to downtown. South Beach Sandwicherie opened last month in the 222 E. Saratoga Street apartment complex .

Co-owner Adam Gardner says he took the concept from a friend who owns a sandwich shop in Miami, where Gardner lived for six years.

In the sun-soaked, palm-tree lined city, sandwich shops offer a salad on a sandwich, a tasty trend Gardner has duplicated at his Baltimore store. South Beach Sandwicherie offers a host of salad toppings for every sandwich: lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers, olives, onions and cornichons, just to name a few.

Sandwiches are topped with a French vinaigrette dressing whose ingredients Gardner holds close to the vest. "I learned [the recipe] from a French guy but I added my own twist to it," he says.  "It's all about the secret sauce and the bread."

South Beach Sandwicherie offers a choice of croissant, baguette or wheat bread. Sandwiches cost between $6.50 and $8.95, for a prosciutto and mozzarella � the store's specialty. The shop also sells smoothies.

Gardner likes the location because he can count on steady daytime traffic from workers at Mercy Medical Center, the courthouses, government and office buildings. South Beach Sandwicherie has also carved a niche as a late-night munchie spot for the club crowd and late-night workers. Open until 2 a.m. Thursdays, and 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday, the store gets business from folks going to Sonar and the bars at Power Plant Live, as well as hospital workers on the late shift.

Gardner and his two partners Keith Showstack and Lydell Owens invested $50,000  to open the 800 square foot store. "It's taken off a lot better than I expected," Gardner says.

The shop features paintings on the wall depicting Miami's Art Deco buildings that fill South Beach. Baltimore graffiti artist Billy Mode painted the artworks.

We've got more about what's happening in Downtown.

Source: Adam Gardner, South Beach Sandwicherie
Writer: Julekha Dash