Commercial Real Estate : Development News

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

The Y of Central Maryland is expanding a Carroll County facility to meet growing demand and is trying to sell another.

By the end of the year, the 24,000-square-foot health center at 1719 Sykesville Rd. in Westminster will expand by another 5,000 square feet.

To begin this summer, the expansion will likely include more family locker rooms, a larger children's play area and fitness center, the Y's Chief Marketing Officer Sara Milstein says. The Westminster Y will also add several multi-purpose rooms that can be used for group exercise classes, meetings and clubs.

"The renovation is very intentionally designed to encourage family and community interaction," Milstein says. Y officials envision their centers as being a place where people can interact with their neighbors and friends.
"In a hurried society where families are under so much stress, the old-fashioned town square doesn't exist anymore," Milstein says. "There's a recognition for a real need for people to connect and not just virtually. We're making the membership about more than fitness but about the spirit, mind and body."

Y officials plan to fund the expansion by using the proceeds from the sales of the building to the Powers Cos. The Y will then lease back the property from Powers for 25 years.

Milstein declined to say how much the Y is spending on the renovations and the building sale. The property is valued at about $2.7 million, according to state property records.

Organization leaders are also actively seeking a buyer for the Westminster Inn, which the Y purchased from the Maryland School for the Blind in 2007. Costs for renovating the historic building have been escalating and given the economic downturn, Y leaders decided it would be wise to sell it rather than spending more money on it, Milstein says.

When the renovation is completed, the Westminster Y will be renamed the Hill Family Center Y in recognition of longtime donors.
The Y of Central Maryland currently operates 11 centers in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Howard, Harford, Carroll and Howard counties.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source, Sara Milstein, Y of Central Maryland

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

You might not think of Beverly Hills and Baltimore in the same breath. But Jeanna Crawford wants to bring a bit of the ritzy and glamorous Los Angeles neighborhood to Charm City with her new tanning salon that opened last month at 906 S. Charles Street. "I'm just really excited to bring this to Baltimore," Crawford says.


Developed in Beverly Hills, the concept behind the 1,400 square-foot Glow to Go offers those who prefer a just-back-from-the-beach glow a sunless tan � a healthier option than baking in the sun or under the ultraviolet rays of traditional tanning salons.Crawford uses an airbrush gun to give on a tan infused with natural products, including antioxidants and botanicals. 

"You can tan in five minutes or less and go as light or as dark as you want to go," Crawford says. "It looks so natural."
Crawford says she invested $150,000 to open the business, much of which went toward buying the equipment and decorating the salon. 


In addition to tanning services, Glow to Go offers anti-aging and hydration treatments. A tanning session runs $55 and $20 for a touch up session.  It also sells package treatment: $313 for six sessions and $522 for 10 sessions. The tans last 7 to 14 days.

A former sun worshipper, Crawford got into the business as she was looking for a way to get bronze without sitting in the sun.
"I'm from the South and have been a suntanner all my life, "Crawford says. "I'm getting older and I didn't want to sit in the sun."

The former stay-at-home mom was also looking for something to do that she is passionate about, yet still make time for her kids.

She chose Federal Hill because friends who own Federal Hill Fitness recommended the area saying it gets a lot of foot traffic. Crawford also thought the area attracted the kind of folks who want a healthy alternative to traditional tanning salons.

Find out more about what's happening in Federal Hill.

Source: Jeanna Crawford, Glow to Go
Writer: Julekha Dash

With consumers wary of spending big bucks these days, a husband-and-wife team in Federal Hill have opened a discount clothing store for thrifty fashionistas.

Ben Abdallah and Anna Dickerson opened the Hill Fashion Consignment at 1201 Light Street last month. The couple thought their store could offer a cheaper alternative to some of the pricey boutiques in the area, Abdallah says.

"People are responding to it really well," Abdallah says of the 600-square-foot store.  "They like the idea of the consignment store because clothing stores in the area are kind of expensive. "

The couple settled on a consignment store because the thought of being eco-friendly  -- since they mostly sell used clothing -- was appealing. "We figured with the economy and global warming and everything else, this is the best idea for the store," Abdallah says.
There's also no other consignment store in the neighborhood.

The store carries primarily modern women's clothing and accessories, including handbags, sweaters, and shoes. Shoppers might pay $50, for instance, for a brand-name purse that would retail for $150 new.

Abdallah and his wife chose Federal Hill because it's full of young people who like to shop. They also like the neighborhood's vibrant, urban feel. "It's city life. It's historic, fresh, and a lot of fun," Abdallah says of Federal Hill.

The couple compare Federal Hill to European cities like Paris, where they spent time traveling last summer. "Life there is very similar in some neighborhoods," Abdallah says. "We're within walking distance to everything, all kinds of restaurants and bars around here."

The store get s alot of pedestrian foot traffic, from neighborhood dog walkers and people going home from work or attending neighborhood festivals.

Although Abdallah decline to say how much the couple had invested to open the consignment shop, he has high hopes for the future. "It's our first venture but hopefully it won't be the last," Abdallah says.

Find out more about what's happening in Federal Hill.

Source: Ben Abdallah, the Hill Fashion Consignment
Writer: Julekha Dash

Anyone who's been to Lebanon's Mediterranean coast knows that Byblos is a city there founded around 5000 B.C. They probably wouldn't know that it's also the name of a new Lebanese restaurant Sami Tabet and his wife Hala Tabet opened in Federal Hill in February. The couple, who hail from the Middle Eastern nation, serve falafel, babaganoush, spinach and meat pies from the  carryout restaurant's 1033 Light Street location.

Tabet purchased the property five years ago and just recently opened the business after former commercial tenants left, he says. The Tabets paid $335,000 for the building, according to state property records. which once housed a grocery store, jeweler and a coffee shop. Because they already owned the real estate, the couple spent just $6,000 to open the new business, Tabet says.

The 550-square-foot restaurant has about 10 tables and walls lined with paintings of landscapes, school mates and houses recalling Tabet's childhood memories of Lebanon.

Tabet, who moved to the U.S. 20 years ago, settled first in Youngstown, Ohio. After just a few weeks, he moved to Baltimore at the suggestion of a friend who said the town had a better city life. And he says he hasn't looked back.

During the two decades he's lived in Baltimore, Tabet says he has seen the city mature and grow with development taking place in all around the city � just as his life in the U.S. grew. "Me and Baltimore, we grew up together," Tabet says.

The couple like Federal Hill because it is a tight-knit community where the neighbors know one another well. He also likes the quaint, urban feel of the area. So far, the restaurant is doing well, he says.

"It's doing very well. I was very surprised. The public has a good idea bout our food and background and ingredients," Tabet says.
"Word of mouth is the best advertising and so far it is working."

Find out what else has been going on in Federal Hill.

Source: Sami Tabet, Byblos
Writer: Julekha Dash

When you think of mall restaurants, chains like the Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen spring to mind.

But mall dining is about to go global at Westfield Annapolis. Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken Restaurant will serve up Afro-Portuguese cuisine June 21. Its menu includes flame-grilled chicken, spicy red pepper dip, salads and sandwiches.

The restaurant currently has 850 restaurants in 30 countries, but just two in the U.S., in Washington, D.C. Peri-Peri takes its name from the fiery chili pepper, which Africans introduced to Portuguese explorers in the 15th century.

"We have a cult-like following around the world," says Burton Heiss, managing director of Nando's Restaurant Group Inc. The company, which has acquired the franchise rights to build Nando's in the U.S., is spending $2 million to build the Annapolis store. Constructing the 4,200-square-foot shop will require remodeling one of the mall walls, which has made the building costs higher than the typical store.

The 152-seat restaurant will be one of six to 10 restaurants Nando's expects to open in Maryland within the next five years, Heiss says. After Annapolis, the group plans to open a store in downtown Silver Spring. The company is also scouting locations in Prince Georges, Anne Arundel and Montgomery Counties.


After scouting six dozen locations, Heiss says Nando's selected Annapolis because it is densely populated with an affluent, well-educated crowd.

Though some restaurants are buckling under financial pressures, Heiss says he is confidant Nando's will appeal to thrifty consumers since the average check is $13. Sales at the Washington, D.C., stores have increased by 17 percent in the last year Heiss says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Burton Heiss, Nando's

Two Baltimore artists have found inspiration in Federal Hill.Abstract artist Mark Cottman will open a namesake gallery June 3 at 1014 S. Charles Street. Cottman follows Crystal Moll who opened a gallery at 1030 S. Charles Street in February. Moll is known for her brushstrokes of Federal Hill rowhomes.

Cottman says he chose Federal Hill because it is a short walk from the Inner Harbor and residents in the neighborhood are familiar with his work.
"It's always been receptive to art," Cottman says of Federal Hill. The neighborhood hosted one of his very first shows.  The 1,000-square-foot Mark Cottman Gallery will replace Artists & Framers Inc., which moved to Columbia.

Cottman couldn't say how much he will invest in the new store since he is not finished with the build out.
"I'm very much looking forward to it, he says of the store. "It's good to have a place where people can come in and get a feeling of the work."

He describes is art as "conscious art for a conscious mind." One piece is titled "Can't we all just swim along?," a painting that depicts colorful faces and stands for world peace.

Moll says the 500-square-foot store in the Federal Hill neighborhood suits her since she paints urban landscapes.

"My work is down in Federal Hill," Moll says. "It's the ideal location."


Sources: Mark Cottman, Mark Cottman Gallery; Crystal Moll, Crystal Moll Gallery
Writer:Julekha Dash

There are lots of places to grab a burger or a slice of pizza. But how many quick, casual places can serve up a flatbread?

That's why business owner Bassam Sares is opening Sandella's Flatbread Caf� this month in Charles Village � and not your local greasy spoon.

"I was looking for a healthy concept in that area," Sares says.

The franchise currently has 19 locations throughout the U.S. but the store at 3202 St. Paul Street will be the first one in Maryland. And Baltimore City could get a second Sandella's. Sares is eyeing the Mount Vernon neighborhood for another location.
 
Sares declined to say how much he is spending to open the store but franchisees pay between $150,000 to $250,000 in a new restaurant, according to the corporate office.

The 1,400-square-foot restaurant's flatbread includes the Brazilian Chicken Grilled Flatbread and the Pesto Chicken Grilled Flatbread. It also sells paninis, wraps and salads that cost around $7, with a side order and drink.

"It's something new and healthy," Sares says of the flatbreads. "There are too many pizza places and too many burger joints. We need something new and healthy. I think this is the new thing."

The neighborhood appealed to Sares because it holds a mix of residents and students. It's also been his home since 1993, when he moved to Baltimore from New York.

"It's a very nice neighborhood," Sares says. "It's a safe neighborhood. It's full of life and action."

Source: Bassam Sares, Sandella's Flatbread Cafe
Writer: Julekha Dash

Harbor East residents can say namaste to a new yoga studio. Bikram Yoga Baltimore opened at 1010 Fleet Street in Harbor East last month, the second yoga location for Eddie and Emily Garner. The couple has run a Bikram Yoga in Cockeysville since 2002.

The business owners sensed a business opportunity since there are no yoga studios downtown or in Harbor East, Emily Garner says. The couple invested about $100,000 to open the new store.

The pair thought Harbor East was a good spot since it is full of office workers and young professionals. It is also easy to get to from Federal Hill, Canton and Fells Point.

"We found Harbor East to be the best fit and the most centrally located," Garner says.

A lot of Bikram Yoga clients live in the county and wanted the Garners to open a location in Baltimore City.

The Garners decided to expand because their business in Cockeysville has grown. Though the economy has taken its toll on consumers' disposable income, clients are still coming in for Downward-Facing Dogs and Sun Salutations.

Revenue at the Cockeysville yoga studio has doubled since 2005 and the business is profitable, Garner says. 

Garner, a former ballet dancer, took a liking to yoga after a yoga instructor in New York took her under her wing.

"It's not just a business," Garner says. "We really believe in teaching yoga to help improve everyone's daily lives."

Source: Emily Garner, Bikram Yoga
Writer: Julekha Dash

Hello pepperoni. Inner Harbor East Delicatessen and Pizzeria is opening this month in the spot at 1001 Fleet Street that once held the short-lived Elevation Burger.
 
Alex Smith, a partner in both the old and new businesses, says he thought workers and residents in the neighborhood could use a deli and pizza place as a casual alternative to the fine-dining restaurants. Smith says he closed Elevation Burger franchise after running into issues with the corporate parent.

The 2,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 90 inside and 40 outside. The restaurant will serve salads, sandwiches, cheese steaks and brick-oven pizza for lunch and dinner and waffles and pancakes for breakfast. The restaurant will be outfitted with 10 plasma screens, showing ESPN, MSNBC and sports programs.

"I think it's a great concept," Smith says. "It's so different from anything else in the area. We hope it's different than what's going on now."

Smith says he chose Harbor East because he lives in the area and has been involved in other businesses, including the Haagen Dazs ice cream shop, which he owns.  His grandfather, bakery mogul John Paterakis Sr.,  is also one of the master developers of Harbor East.

He declined to say how much he and his two business partners invested in the new venture.  However, the Baltimore City liquor license board granted the business a new Class "B" liquor license that is available to business owners who invest at least $500,000 in a restaurant that seats at least 75. 



Source: Alex Smith, Harbor East Deli and Pizza
Writer: Julekha Dash

A four-year-old energy company that supplies wind and solar power has expanded to Baltimore County's Catonsville. Clean Currents LLC opened an office at 813 Frederick Road this month. 

Company execs chose Catonsville after holding a town hall meeting on green energy at the Catonsville library in 2007, Clean Currents President Gary Skulnik says. More than 300 households signed up for Clean Currents. Catonsville is a "green-minded community," Skulnik says. "It's great to be there. We have so much energy on that side."

After that meeting, Clean Currents started a residential program. "I thought, maybe we are onto something here," Skulnik says.  Today, it has 6,000 residential customers.

Based in Rockville, Clean Currents employs 20. It is starting out small at the Catonsville office, with just two workers and less than 1,000 square feet of space, but the company has ambitious goals. If all goes well, the business could add as many as 30 employees in the next 18 months as it adds more customers in Pennsylvania, Skulnik says. The firm wants to become the dominant green energy company in the mid-Atlantic region.

He says the company also chose Catonsville because because the downtown area contains numerous restaurants and services. It's also convenient to Interstate 95 and 695 and minutes from downtown Baltimore.

Skulnik declined to say how much the company spent on the move.

Source: Gary Skulnik, Clean Currents
Writer: Julekha Dash

A public relations firm whose clients include Ripken Baseball and Cal Ripken, Jr., hopes to hit a home run in its new office in Columbia.

The 10-person firm outgrew its space in Marriottsville and moved this month to a 3,200-square-foot office at the Columbia Corporate Park at 8825 Standford Blvd.

Maroon PR President John Maroon says he liked the location because there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby to grab lunch or a drink after work. These include the Greene Turtle and Nottingham's Tavern.

The location is also more convenient for the staff to reach from Baltimore compared with Marriottsville, Maroon says. The Columbia office is about two-thirds bigger than the former space.
"The work space was getting cramped," Maroon says.

The four-year-old company is spending about $20,000 on the move and about $1,000 more each month on rent, he says.

Though a lot of marketing and PR firms have been struggling during the recession, Maroon PR says it has seen steady growth from existing clients and new nonprofit clients. The latter includes the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic division and Reading is Fundamental, a children's literacy program in Washington, D.C.

Maroon PR is looking to hire a few folks as well this year in the areas of public relations, business development and possibly a graphic designer.

Other Maroon PR clients include Sullivan's Steakhouse, the Babe Ruth Museum, Geier Financial Group and Pathfinders for Autism.

Source: John Maroon, Maroon PR
Writer: Julekha Dash

You could call David Shapiro a lawyer by day and falafel guru by night. The attorney recently opened Shapiro's Caf� at 7 W. Preston St. The 2,000-square-foot caf� features an eclectic menu, including falafel, schwarma, tuna and chicken salad, and corned beef sandwiches.

Shapiro is partial to the Mount Vernon neighborhood because that is where he operates his law practice. It is also the site of his alma mater, the University of Baltimore, where he attended law school. Shapiro expects to draw students from there, as well as Maryland Institute College of Art, to his restaurant.

By next month, when the caf� is open during the evening, Shapiro expects to draw patrons who attend performances at the Lyric Opera House and at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Though the corned beef comes all the way from New York, Shaipro says that his goal is to get about half of his products from local sources. Already, he gets his coffee from Baltimore's Zeke's Coffee and Taharka Bros. Ice Cream.

Shapiro spent $90,000 to open the 2,000-square-foot store. Though he has practiced law for the last 22 years, Shapiro is no stranger to the food industry. He worked for a Jewish catering company when he was 14.

"That was my first experience working in a kitchen," Shapiro says.

And now, he says he is Mount Vernon to serve the neighborhood and people employed in the area. But he hasn't given up his day job.

Source: David Shapiro, Shapiro's Cafe
Writer: Julekha Dash

Fells Point residents hungry for sushi and soba noodles will get a new dining option.

Sticky Rice will open in June at 1634 Aliceanna, formerly Friends bar. The Asian restaurant has two other locations, in Richmond, Va., and Washington D.C.

The 1,700 square foot restaurant will seat 90. In addition to Asian cuisine, the restaurant will sell hamburgers, hot wings and tater tots. Noodles and sushi will cost anywhere from $8 to $11.

Sticky Rice Partner Ronnie Pasztor says the partners chose Fells Point because the neighborhood has been gaining a number of new businesses, including Tapas Adela and fellow Asian restaurant Sam's Kid.
"Fells Point is on the upswing," Pasztor said. He also likes the historic feel of the neighborhood.

The restaurant, which Pasztor describes as "edgy," will employ about 50.

Though the economy has not been kind to some restaurants, Pasztor is confident Sticky Rice will win over diners since sales at the Washington, D.C. restaurant were up nearly 12 percent in January and February of this year compared with last year.

Pasztor declined to say how much the partners are spending to open the new restaurant.

Sticky Rice Partner Ronnie Pasztor recently moved from Santa Barbara to Baltimore after his wife got a job in Charm City. And the former accountant wound up entering the restaurant business by chance, thanks to his brother-in-law Joey Belcher. He is an owner at two Washington, D.C., restaurants: French bistro 1905 and Dangerously Delicious Pies, the Baltimore favorite pie place that recently opened in the nation's capitol.
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The other partners include Phil Rodriguez and Jason Martin. Rodriguez, Martin, and Belcher are all partners in the Sticky Rice in Washington, D.C., which opened in 2008. The original spot in Richmond, Va., opened 11 year ago under the direction of John Yamashita and Jason Henry, who provided staff training and branding for the Baltimore location.