Local cafe chain,
Cafe Gourmet, has opened a new location at 801 W. Baltimore Street in the
University of Maryland BioPark. The latest opening is the 9th location the company has opened in the past eight years. The family-owned business opened in January 2002. In addition to the Gourmet Cafe locations, the company also owns Dillweed's Cafe in Towson, says owner David Redmond.
Redmond says the company's average of opening one new location a year is due to several factors.
"We've been very well received. We've had opportunities brought to us by buidling owners and landlords who want us in their building because of the company we are. So we've been fortunate," he says.
The company's initial attraction for building owners was the way the restuarants were operated. "We try to keep them very upscale and professional. Part of our business model is giving great food at fair prices with heroic customer service, as we like to call it. That's quite an attraction to building owners who as far as small local companies may not have the most professional tenants in their building," Redmond explains.
"The look of our cafes, the quality of food, the way we've grown and had our reputation grow with us. We just do things the right way. We pay on time, we're good neighbors, we give back to the community. But, first and foremost your food has to be good to in order for your restuarant to survive and to grow. That's the basis of our success."
Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Cafe Gourmet offers a selection of breakfast items, sandwiches, panini's, burgers, soups, salads, and coffee, plus beer and wine. The restaurant also offers corporate catering.
"The food is made fresh on-premise every day. Every location has an in-house chef/manager and makes their soups onsite. We bring in raw chicken breast and cook it off. We bring in ground beef and make patties. We bring in our own meat and cheeses and slice them on-premise. We bring in little, if any, prepared food. The only thing I can think of is that we had to stop cutting our own french fries a few years ago. It was just too time consuming," Redmond says.
Source: David Redmond, Cafe Gourmet
Writer: Walaika Haskins