For Foodies : Development News

 Federal Hill's Blue Agave will have a different feel when it reopens later this week.
 
New owners took over the Mexican restaurant last month and are wrapping up renovations to the 2,500-square-foot space. The two-week renovations began last week and during that time the restaurant has been closed, General Manager Adam Pashkevich says.

As part of the changes, the restaurant plans to open up the space by tearing down some walls, and making the exterior more inviting for customers. The restaurant will get new floors, a complete bathroom renovation, and a new bar surface, Pashkevich says.

While the changes won’t expand the space, Pashkevich says he believes more open space will create a better experience for guests. There will also be more server stations for faster food delivery.

Some changes will happen on the menu, such as adding fajitas, taking away less popular items, and some lower prices on food items, but the restaurant will stay true to its original concept of authentic Mexican food. The restaurant will also be open daily instead of Tuesday through Sunday. To accommodate the changes, some new staff will be added to the restaurant’s current staff of 20.

The new management previously worked at Macky’s in Ocean City, and each member of the team brings over 10 years of restaurant experience, Pashkevich says.
 
Source: Adam Pashkevich, general manager
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 

Two local entrepreneurs want to bring the bounties of Maryland's farms to your neighborhood, maybe even your doorstep.
 
Here's the concept: Friends & Farms goes out and gets the freshest produce, meat, dairy, and seafood from farms and suppliers around the region. Then they divide it all into a basket that you pick up once a week from a designated location in your area. They also plan to provide direct delivery to homes, says co-founder Tim Hosking.
 
In the works since last fall, the venture will launch May 31 with the first basket pick-up in the week of June 4. The company will start in Howard County and plans to expand to locations as far north as Baltimore City and County, and as far south as Northern Virginia, Hosking says.
 
Baskets will include two proteins, a myriad of fruit and vegetables, milk and bread every week, and occasionally items like eggs, bacon, herbs and spices. The food will have been picked, baked, or harvested within 24 to 48 hours.
 
They are priced more along the lines of Giant as opposed to Whole Foods or a farmers' market, Hosking says.
 
Hosking says he thinks that quality, freshness, and price will differentiate Friends & Farms from other retailers and markets. Large baskets designed for a family of four will retail at $76, while smaller baskets for two will run at $51. 
 
The company recently leased a 4,500-square-foot office and warehouse space in Columbia as its distribution base. It currently employs four full-time employees with plans to hire additional part-time workers.
 
Hosking and co-founder Philip Gottwals have both worked in areas of community development, food and agriculture and finance. They are hoping to better connect busy, working people with high-quality, fresh foods straight from the farm and sea.
 
"We really want to work in the food system, and many aspects of it aren't functioning well, some may even say it’s broken. We are putting our money where our mouths are with this project," Hosking says.
 
Friends & Farms will host a launch event May 31 at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes.
 
Source: Tim Hosking, co-founder of Friends & Farms
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

The owners of a proposed BonChon Chicken in Ellicott City will go before the Howard County Liquor Board this week.
 
The 2,000 square-foot location at 3419 Plum Tree Drive is just off Route 40 and near near Serafino’s Italian Market and across from the Village Green Shopping Center.
 
The company specializes in Korean fried chicken, and currently has locations in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Virginia as well as locations abroad including Korea.
 
The hearing will be another step towards the restaurant's planed opening, which will mark the company's first location in Maryland.
 
Min Bros. Inc, applied for the license, and the hearing is planned for May 8 at 6:30 p.m., according to the liquor board.
 
A previous hearing was held for the proposed restaurant in March, but the liquor board asked for the company's attorney, Linda Carter, to make corrections to provide more information for the board, says liquor board administrator, Denise King.
 
The application has since been amended, King says.
 
Min Bros. Inc. hasn't yet signed a franchise contract with BonChon Chicken, says a franchise consultant at the company's New York Office, but they are in negotiations and plan to open the restaurant "soon."
 
Source:Denise King, Howard County Board Liquor Board administrator
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Opa! Baltimore's tony Harbor East neighborhood is getting another new restaurant this summer. 

Greek restaurant Ouzo Bay is opening at 1006 Lancaster St., the same building that houses Charleston. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant seat 140 inside and 70 outside, according to a liquor license application Alexander Smith filed in Baltimore City.

The owners will invest at least $500,000 to open the Ouzo Bay, according to the liquor license application. The restaurant will serve modern Greek specialties, with an emphasis on fresh seafood.

Harbor East is home to Cinghiale, Arhaus Furniture, White House|Black Market and the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore. The area is getting a slew of new retailers this summer, including Anthropologie, J. Crew, Lululemon and MAC Cosmetics. The area and surrounding neighborhood of Fells Point have attracted a number of new eateries within the last year, including Waterfront Kitchen, Wit and Wisdom Tavern, the Inn at the Black Olive and Bond Street Social.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Baltimore City liquor board

You just might find that treasure you've been looking for this weekend at the opening of the Station North Flea Market.
 
The season opens Saturday, May and will run on the first Saturday of every month until October at the corner of Lafayette and Charles Streets in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

Previously the market was held on the unit block of East North Avenue, but the decision was made to relocate the market from a busy and loud location on North Avenue to an area better scaled for a flea market, says Ben Stone, executive director of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. 

One of the main goals of the market, Stone says, is to create a vibrant community event that engages locals, visitors, and artists alike. The market helps to build community for both older residents of Station North, as well as younger artists and students.  

This year, the flea market will commission some small, affordable pieces of artwork. The goal was to create a way for people to get quality art rather inexpensively, Stone says.
 
Other offerings include antiques, vintage clothes, crafts, and household items.
 
Stone expects at least one or two food trucks selling their culinary creations on-site.
 
If the weather is good, tours will be offered of the murals painted recently as part of the Open Walls Baltimore project. The opening of the flea market will also coincide with the opening of the Maryland Film Festival.
 
For vendors interested in participating in the flea market, the market is first-come, first-served. The cost is $20 and tables can be rented on site for $10.
 
Send an email to [email protected] to reserve a space in advance.
 
Source:  Ben Stone, executive director of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 
 

Highlandtown businesses want to offer you a seat outside this summer.
 
Six restaurants and businesses in the Highlandtown Merchants Association submitted applications to the city's zoning board this month for outdoor table seating. The move is an attempt by area businesses to boost sales and beautify their neighborhood with outdoor seating.
 
The applications for outdoor seating were part of a plan, two years in the making, to create a more inviting space for diners and shoppers in the area, says Jody Rosoff, treasurer of the Highlandtown Merchants Association and owner of Docs Smokeshop on Eastern Avenue. Rosoff wants outdoor seating in front her business. 
 
Other businesses that want to have outdoor seating include the Creative Alliance, Filippo's Pizzeria, Mi Viejo Pueblito, and Little Morocco Cafe.
 
Rosoff says that outdoor seating for restaurants and other businesses will add dimension to storefronts and create a more "charming" atmosphere. The tables will also invite guests to stay around to shop and dine.
 
The Highlandtown Merchants Association paid for the $250 initial permit fee per business to encourage businesses to participate in the outdoor seating campaign, Rosoff says.
 
But the total cost of having outdoor seating is likely an investment of several thousand dollars for the expense of the tables and additional yearly fees.There are 300 businesses that are part of Highlandtown Main Street. 
 
As part of the permitting process, each merchant had to present a document with the proposed outdoor seating in front of their business. Each business will go before the city’s zoning board to determine if the business will be allowed to have outdoor seating. The city’s zoning board has yet to set a hearing date on applications from merchants in Highlandtown.

The Creative Alliance was already putting together an application for outdoor seating when they were approached by the merchant's association. The performing arts venue wanted to add outdoor table service for its new restaurant project in partnership with Clementine. Clementine at Creative Alliance, a full restaurant, will open May 17, says Andre Mazelin, theatre and rental manager at the Creative Alliance. 
 
 
Sources: Jody Rosoff, treasurer of the Highlandtown Merchants Association and owner of Docs Smokeshop on Eastern Avenue.
Andre Mazelin, theatre and rental manager at the Creative Alliance. 
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 

One of Hamilton's best known restaurants is expanding to East Baltimore.
 
Clementine, the Hamilton restaurant focused on farm-to-table foods and meals will open a new location, Clementine at Creative Alliance May 17, says Clementine owner and chef Winston Blick.
 
The 49-seat bistro will be a slightly more upscale and 'downtown' version of Clementine in Hamilton, which does rustic comfort food, Blick says.
 
The restaurant will be a partnership between The Creative Alliance and Clementine, with Clementine managing the restaurant. The Creative Alliance built out the restaurant and recruited Clementine to fill the space, Blick says.
 
More than four years ago, both parties were interested in a partnership, but Blick thought the space was too small and Blick ended up opening Clementine in a space in Hamilton. Ironically, the restaurant is the same size as the original Clementine prior to its renovations two years ago, Blick says.
 
"The great thing about this is that we have the chance to do it again," Blick says.
 
As for the cooking duties, the current sous chef at Clementine, Jeremy Price, will take over as chef at the new location. Jill Snyder, formerly of Woodberry Kitchen and Top Chef season five contestant, will become the executive chef at Hamilton's Clementine, Blick says.
 
Blick says he's slightly removed himself from daily cooking to work on menus and bringing in fresh, local produce and meats for his restaurants from area farms.
 
Some of the farms that partner with Clementine include Prigel Family Creamery, The Zahradka Farm, and the Hamilton Crop Circle.
 
Blick's other venture, a market called Green Onion, will open this week or early next week up the street from Clementine in Hamilton. The market will carry local dairy products and meats, dry goods, and other locally made products like laundry detergents, jams, and jellies. The market will also bring in chefs such as Snyder to offer classes and workshops.

Blick told Bmore Media that the shop is a cross between Atwater's and Milk and Honey Market. 
 
Sources: Winston Blick, owner of Clementine
 
Andre Mazelin, theatre and rental manager at the Creative Alliance.
 
 
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Matt Lallo didn't plan on opening up a restaurant when he moved down to Baltimore from Philadelphia two years ago with his wife to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
 
But retired life didn't quite suit him.
 
"I don't golf," Lallo says.
 
After owning three restaurants in the Philadelphia area over his career, Lallo needed a project.
 
Lallo's fourth restaurant, the Blue Sage Cafe and Wine Bar, is expected to open June 1, pending the permitting process, at 1604 Kelly Ave. That's the former location of The Falls in Mt. Washington.
 
Lallo says his family used to have brunch at the Falls when they visited Baltimore and when the restaurant closed, he decided to look into leasing the space. He describes Mt. Washington as a very family-oriented area.
 
The cafe will feature a "pan-global" menu with craft beers, offering light breakfast with good coffee, in addition to a lunch and dinner, Lallo says.

He hopes to provide a neighborhood-based cafe that creates extraordinary food.
 
The 2,400-square-foot space reminds Lallo, he says, of a corner restaurant in Manhattan.
 
While the restaurant was pretty much move-in ready, Lallo says they rearranged it to give it a clean look. The restaurant also plans to hire at least 12 employees when they open.
 
In Philadelphia, Lallo operated the Purple Sage Cafe. He also served as the director of operations for Culinary Concepts Inc., a catering company. 
 
Source: Matt Lallo, owner of the Blue Sage Cafe and Wine Bar
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Shoppers in the Inner Harbor will soon be able to satisfy their sweet tooth with treats like old school candy and chocolate shaped like crabs.
 
The Best of Luck Candy & Gifts, a specialty nostalgia candy and gift shop, will relocate May 1 from Harbor East to a larger location at 601 E. Pratt St. in the Power Plant entertainment complex, says owner Alexis "Lucky" Thompson.
 
In the new, approximately 900-square-foot location, the business will have double the space and plans to add a coffee bar in addition to new candies, gifts, custom gift baskets, and additional room for events such as birthday parties. Thompson also plans to offer more Baltimore-themed candy and gifts.
 
Thompson expects the new location will receive great visibility from both foot and car traffic.
 
Raised in Baltimore, Thompson says she always dreamed of owning a candy shop. She recently moved back to Baltimore with her husband after working in marketing in New York. The store opened at its previous location on 612 S. Exeter St. last October.
 
The store underwent a month of remodeling as part of a relaunching of the store's brand.
 
While the company has no plans for further expansion in the near future, they do plan to do more events such as bachelorette parties and showers. The company also recently added four new employees for the new shop, Thompson says.
 
Source: Alexis "Lucky" Thompson, owner of The Best of Luck Candy & Gifts
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 

From children’s hair-braiding to a market stocked with locally grown produce, Hamilton-Lauraville is home to several new and soon-to-open businesses.

Last week, Kinkx Studio, a kid-focused braiding studio opened at 2926 E. Cold Spring Lane. The studio serves children aged three to 14. The studio relocated from Charles Village from an office building to attract more traffic, says owner and CEO, Angelique Redmond.

The studio recently offered a deal on Living Social and more than 100 deals have been purchased, Redmond says. The studio also provides free movies, music, games, and refreshments for its young clients.

Redmond invested about $10,000 in the move, and the business currently has three employees.

On May 1, Supportech MD Inc. will open at 4517 Harford Rd. The business provides computer support for small businesses and will also offer drop-off computer repair services. Previously located in Towson, the relocation gives the business more space for the price, says owner John Lemonds.

For those looking for fresh, local food options, the long-anticipated Green Onion Market will open this spring, likely in May, says Regina Lansinger, director of Hamilton Lauraville Main Street.

Last year owner Winston Blick compared the market to a cross between Atwater’s and Milk & Honey Market.

Sources:
Regina Lansinger, director of Hamilton Lauraville Main Street
Angelique Redmond, owner of Kinkx Studio
John Lemonds, owner of Supportech MD Inc.

Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Soon you’ll be able to pick up a spicy tuna roll and chardonnay before you fly on AirTran Airways or Southwest Airlines.

A sushi restaurant by the name of Gachi will open late spring at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, airport spokesman Jonathan Dean confirmed. It will be located in the food court in Concourse A, according to the county liquor board.

Adding new shops and restaurants is a priority for the airport as airport traffic picks up, Dean says. BWI had a record year last year with 22,391,785 passengers.

“The airport is working to add a number of concessions,” Dean says. He couldn’t specify the type of concessions.

BWI wants to beef up offerings in Concourse A/B since AirTran shifted its operation there following its merger with Southwest Airlines, Dean says.

Gachi received a special airport concessionaire license, which allows it to sell any kind of alcoholic beverage.

Inez M. Setiabudi and Daniel Kurniawan, listed as the holders of the liquor license, could not be reached for comment. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Jonathan Dean, BWI; Anne Arundel County liquor board 

Seafood restaurant chain Bonefish Grill is eyeing Anne Arundel County for two new locations.

The Anne Arundel County liquor board this month granted a liquor license to open at Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole, an outdoor mall anchored by Whole Foods, Target and Restoration Hardware.
 
The 199-seat restaurant will have outdoor dining for 28 and replaces the shuttered Real Seafood Co., says liquor board administrator Judy J. Hagner. The restaurant received a deluxe liquor license, which requires that the owner invest at least $800,000 to open the property.
 
The restaurant chain also applied for a liquor license at the Village of Waugh Chapel in Gambrills, but the attorney asked to postpone the meeting in order to secure all the necessary paperwork, Hagner says. The next hearing will be held June 12.
 
A PR rep for Bonefish Grill says the company isn’t ready to release any information about the new locations. Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp., the developer for both sites, could not be reached for comment.
 
Bonefish Grill is one of the restaurant concepts of Tampa, Fla.-based OSI Restaurant Partners LLC. That’s the same company that is behind Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Roy’s, Outback Steakhouse and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
 
Maryland currently houses six Bonefish Grill locations in Glen Burnie, Bel Air, Owings Mills, Frederick, Brandywine and Gaithersburg. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Judy Hagner and Edward Aronson, Anne Arundel County liquor board 

It's out with the symphony crowd and in with the college kids for Midtown's Abacrombie Inn. 

Managers of the inn hope a new restaurant taking over the space formerly occupied by Abacrombie Fine Foods and serving Middle Eastern fare will appeal to a growing student population in the area.
 
Alladin Kabob opened this month in the Abacrombie Inn at 58 W. Biddle St. in Midtown, and managers hope that the new restaurant will be a hit with the student community at nearby University of Baltimore and Maryland Institute College of Art, says Todd Powell, managing director of the Abacrombie Inn.
 
The 2,400-square-foot restaurant serves Middle Eastern fare and also offer a hookah bar, Powell says.
 
Alladin Kabob has leased the space and made significant renovations to the former Abacrombie Fine Foods. With its proximity to Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the previous restaurant was a more upscale, fine dining experience often appealing to concert-goers, Powell says.
 
Powell is optimistic about future of the restaurant along with other businesses that have been redeveloped along nearby Charles Street.
 
The fate of the restaurant may be in the hands of college students who will soon be neighbors with the inn. 
 
This fall, the University of Baltimore will open a 323-bed residence hall at Maryland and Biddle Streets just next to the inn.
 

Source: Todd Powell, managing director of the Abacrombie Inn
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Construction on the new location of Teavolve and Milk & Honey Market will begin later this month in the John G. Rangos Sr. Building at The Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins for a planned August opening.
 
The 3,300-square-foot East Baltimore location will be a partnership between Milk & Honey and Teavolve in the building at 855 N. Wolfe St, says Teavolve Owner Mondel Powell.
 
Working with the owner of Milk & Honey Market, Ernst Valery, more than $750,000 has been invested in the new location, Powell says.
 
The yet named location will have a cafe that includes grab-and-go and prepared items, and a normal seating area in addition to a 900-square-foot mezzanine for evening events, Powell says.
 
Powell says the new location will give Teavolve an opportunity to do more events and catering and an opportunity to expand the brand. The location connected to Johns Hopkins provides the businesses with built-in clientele, Powell says.
 
Approximately 25 new employees will be hired for the new location, and Powell says that the management is working to hire individuals from the nearby community.
 
Teavolve plans to expand strategically and Powell says he gets contacted regularly about different developments inside and outside the city.
 
This location will be Milk & Honey Market’s third location. Their second location is slated to open in Station North this fall. The company’s other location is in Mount Vernon.
 
Just north of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Rangos Building is part of a more than 80-acre urban redevelopment project under the direction of the East Baltimore Development Inc. which will include housing, retail and office space, research labs, and more.
 
Source: Mondel Powell, owner of Teavolve
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Joe’s Crab Shack is on its way to building its fourth Maryland restaurant at Hunt Valley Towne Centre, according to the Baltimore County liquor board.
 
The board approved a liquor license transfer to the Houston-based restaurant chain, says Mike Mohler, chief administrator of the Baltimore County Board of Liquor License Commissioners. The building will go on a pad site opposite Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Mohler says.
 
“We’re very excited about having them in Baltimore County,” Mohler says. “We’re looking forward to it.”
 
The other Maryland crab shacks are in Greenbelt, Gaithersburg and Abingdon.
 
Officials at Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp. – Hunt Valley’s developer – and Joe’s Crab Shack said they did not yet have a formal announcement on the new site.
 
The crab restaurant typically employs around 250 to 300 at each location. In addition to crabs, the restaurant sells New Orleans-style and Caribbean-flavored seafood dishes, such as crawfish etouffee and coconut shrimp.
 
Anchored by a Wegmans Food Markets, Hunt Valley Towne Centre’s shops include White House/Black Market, the Greene Turtle and California Pizza Kitchen. 

Writer: Julekha Dash; [email protected]
Source: Mike Mohler, Baltimore County liquor board