Development News

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

Three months after opening in downtown Bel Air, Ed Sheet already has his eye on an expansion.

Sheet, the owner of Chesapeake Cycle & Sport, hopes to move into a 2,500-square-foot store within two years. His current store in Bel Air is 1,100 square feet.

It's the second bike store for Sheet, who opened his Havre de Grace location in 2008. The expansion to Bel Air was intended to make it more convenient for customers who live in Fallston or Forest Hill who don't want to make the trek to Havre de Grace.

The two stores will pull in $1 million in sales this year, he says.

Sheet chose the spot at 116 S. Main Street because it is close to another sports shop, Charm City Run. Owners of the two shops can rely on one another's mailing lists and host joint promotional events. He's also excited about the Main Street revitalization efforts. 

The inventory focuses mainly on road bikes and triathlon bikes, with 30 to 40 bikes in stock at any one time. After he moves into a bigger store, Sheet hopes to house more than 200 bikes, including hybrid, cruiser and kids' cycles, like his Havre de Grace. He also hopes to house more accessories, apparel, and a larger service department.

"Bike service is important to the reputation and longevity of the store," Sheet says.

The business owners says he preferred to open in the 208-year-old historic building over a strip mall because the rent is about one-third the price and the property includes historic details like wood floors and a tin ceiling.

Because he also owns a property management company, Sheet's spent just $2,500 to rehab the space.


Source: Ed Sheet, Chesapeake Cycle & Sport
Writer: Julekha Dash

Pizza, salad, pasta and dessert for $5.49?

That's the promise Ken Solomon is making for the new Cici's Pizza set to open in August at 8675 Pulaski Highway in Rosedale.
The 3,383-square-foot shop will include coin-operated video games to attract families.

Solomon was attracted to the location across from the Centre at Golden Ring because it will hopefully get plenty of drive-by traffic since many shops and restaurants are nearby. These include Longhorn Steakhouse, Home Depot, Best Buy and Panera Bread Co.
The restaurant will not serve beer and wine.

Keeping the prices low will hopefully attract consumers looking for a bargain in a depressed economy, says Solomon, who is investing $575,000 in the franchise.

So how does a restaurant make money when its prices are so low and it doesn't serve alcohol? The key is to do brisk volume, Solomon says.

The 144-seat restaurant will hopefully attract a wide swathe of visitors, with Essex Community College and Franklin Square Hospital nearby, he says. "Around there, there's tons of traffic," Solomon says. "We'll be getting a lot of people." The restaurant will add 25 jobs to the local economy.

The average Cici's restaurant grosses $909,075 in annual sales, with the highest sales exceeding $2.3 million, according to the company.
Based in Coppell, Texas, Cici's has 650 locations in 33 states. The company expects to open between 80 to 100 restaurants each year over the next five years.

Franchisees can expect to spend anywhere from $450,000 to $727,000 to open a Cici's restaurant.

Source: Ken Solomon, Cici's
Writer: Julekha Dash

Leaders at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center are scouting locations in Baltimore and Annapolis for a permanent home for its exhibits that highlight the Free State's leading ladies. The site pays homage to accomplished Maryland women in a Hall of Fame display. Featured women include biotech pioneer Claire Fraser-Liggett, Harriet Tubman, environmentalist and "Silent Spring" author Rachel Carson and jazz great Billie Holiday.

Center leaders expect to open a 25,000-square-foot center within two years, and need to raise $5 million to open a permanent building, Executive Director Jill Moss Greenberg says.  

The center opens its temporary home June 19 at 39 W. Lexington St. Located in the former Baltimore Gas & Electric Building, the initial space was donated by David Hillman, CEO of Southern Management Corporation. Greenberg says the board is looking at half a dozen sites in downtown Baltimore and is zeroing in on Baltimore and Annapolis with the hope that the locales can attract conference attendees and students on school trips.

The permanent location will host more interactive exhibits, a library, women's history archive, arts and crafts display, meeting space and gift shop with books and gifts made by Maryland women.

Center officials will launch a capital campaign this year."I know it's terrible timing because of the economy but we're at the point where we need to do so," she says.

The center has an operating budget of about $100,000 and gets its funding from the state, corporations, foundations and individuals. Entrance is free.


The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is an offshoot of the Maryland Women's History Project, collaboration between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education.


Source: Jill Moss Greenberg, Maryland Women's Heritage Center
Writer: Julekha Dash

After three years of jockeying for space in craft shows, jewelry designer Susan Morris decided the time was right to showcase her products in her own space.

Morris opened boutique Simply Charmed in downtown Bel Air June 5. In addition to selling her own bracelets and necklaces, the store displays the work of 14 other artists. Located at 138 N. Bond St., Simply Charmed sells candles, wine glasses, dresses, purses and home d�cor.

Selling at shows is tough because you have to apply and be accepted and there is typically a limit on the amount of jewelry an artist can sell, Morris says. "I've always had a dream of opening a boutique," Morris says. "Vendors shows are a hard type of environment to be in."

Morris spent about $30,000 to open the 1,700-square-foot store. She also likes the store's spot because it gets plenty of drive-by and foot traffic, thanks to the location next to Bel Air Bakery.

Downtown Bel Air has also been undergoing significant revitalization with new businesses moving in and events that promote downtown businesses. These include a Girls Night Out the third Thursday of every month, with extended shopping hours and store promotions. "I've seen so many changes on Main Street. There's a lot going on in downtown Bel Air."

The mother of three started designing jewelry after seeing her sister do the same. After friends and friends of friends started asking her to design pieces for them, Morris' hobby turned into a business that she could do while looking after her three kids at home.

Morris' own signature jewelry piece is a sterling silver chain containing variety of charms and a personalized message.

Source: Susan Morris, Simply Charmed
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

Westminster Main Street Program has received a state design award that economic development officials hope will help it attract more businesses to the downtown area.

The city received the 2010 Main Street Maryland Excellence Award for Design for fixing up its commercial and residential buildings and implementing a $2 million fa�ade improvement program.

The state Main Street awards recognize projects that improve the appearance and economy of historic downtown business districts. Awards are given for design, economic restructuring, promotion and organization. A fifth award is granted for Main Streets that are clean, safe and green. Westminster netted an award for organizational excellence two years ago.

"It shows that our programs are working and we're getting recognition from the outside," says Stan Ruchlewicz, administrator of the Westminster Office of Economic Development and Main Street program manager, of the award. "Our goal is to get all five awards."

Westminster is one of 23 commercial districts that the state has designated as a Main Street community.

Downtown Westminster counts about 300 businesses, including 75 retailers and 24 restaurants. The area has been gaining 10 to 15 businesses per year in the last nine years, Ruchlewicz says.

The design award will hopefully encourage more businesses to take advantage of the Main Street Program. Entrepreneurs can receive up to $20,000 in fa�ade improvement grants if they maintain their business for five years.

"We're hoping that will give us more businesses," Ruchlewicz says of the awards. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Stan Ruchlewicz

All the world's a stage for residents of Baltimore's Hamilton neighborhood. So, it may be no surprise that after 15 years in Federal Hill, Performance Theatre Workshop is moving to 5426 Harford Road in July.

Productions at the new space will begin Fall 2011, after theater staff have raised the $500,000 needed to purchase and refurbish the former Provident Bank building,  Marlyn Robinson, one of the company's artistic director says.

Leaders at the nonprofit will begin a capital campaign in the near future, raising money from individuals and foundations so they can move into the historic building, which dates to 1928. Baltimore architects Ziger/Snead LLC -- who have worked with MICA and Centerstage -- will design and restore the building.

The new space will give Performance Theatre 80 seats, versus 30 at its spot at 28 E. Ostend Street, near Cross Street Market. "We needed to serve more people," since at times, the theater was at capacity, Robinson says. The spot also offers ample parking and access for the disabled, something that was lacking in its Federal Hill space.

Robinson expects that the area's young families and throngs of artists will be interested in the theater's productions.
"It's an area that very much wants to develop and grow," Robinson says. "We think that is a welcoming and interested neighborhood."

Two neighborhood associations invited the theater troupe to move to the area, Marc Horwitz, also an artistic director for the company, says.

The Hamilton and nearby Lauraville neighborhoods have attracted a host of new restaurants and cafes in recent years, including Clementine, Hamilton Tavern and Red Canoe Bookstore Caf�.

Originally based in Pennsylvania, Performance Theatre Workshop has a strong educational mission and hosts workshops and post-theater discussions. Theater officials hope to help train Hamilton high school students. "I'd like the theater to grow into a magnet for the schools and receive training from professionals," Horwitz says.

The troupe's most recent production was the "Puppetmaster of Lodz," a play about a Holocaust survivor that the theater runs every seven years. Next season, it plans to hold its plays in various performance spots throughout the city until its new Hamilton space is ready.

Wanna know more? Read more about the area's Arts and Culture scene.

Sources: Marc Horwitz, Marlyn Robinson, Performance Theatre Workshop
Writer: Julekha Dash

After seven years in Canton, Crimson & Clover Floral Design Inc. is packing up its bouquets and heading to North Baltimore. The florist will open in an expanded shop at 733 Deepdene Road later in June.

At 1,522 square feet, the new shop is two-thirds bigger than the previous location. The larger space will give owner Amy Epstein the room add more flowers to her stock and hold meetings with brides-to-be or event planners. With about 80 weddings booked each a year, nuptials are a good chunk of Crimson & Clover's business, she says.

Though business from passersby has slowed somewhat due to the down economy, Epstein says she can still rely on the wedding business. "People will always get married and they're going to need flowers for their wedding." Wedding planners, however, might spend $20,000 instead of $50,000 nowadays.

The new space includes a large, walk-in cooler that will allow her to make custom bouquets on the spot.
"We didn't physically have the space for more people and flowers," Epstein says. "I have been turning away brides on weekends."

Epstein, who spent $50,000 on the new location, says she hopes the Roland Park will offer more foot traffic and easy access to area's affluent residents. Another plus is the neighborhoods accessibility. It's easy for  to people in Baltimore City as well as Baltimore County to get there, Epstein says.

"I like the idea of being more central to the city and county," she says. "We do a lot of business in the counties. I do feel that this is more accessible and central to our clients."

The store is in the same shopping center as gourmet grocer Eddie's of Roland Park. It's also close to four schools, three banks, a pharmacy and Starbucks. 


Source: Amy Epstein, Crimson & Clover
Writer: Julekha Dash

You're an out-of-towner who finds himself stumbling into a bar called Kooper's Tavern in Baltimore's historic Fells Point neighborhood. A few too many pints of Guinness later and now you're just looking for the nearest place to crash with a comfy bed.

Kooper's Owner Patrick Russell and his partner Bill Irvin have the answer for the itinerant, inebriated guest. The pair took over Celie's Waterfront Bed & Breakfast last month, hoping to expand their hospitality enterprise to include an inn. The partners paid $1.3 million to purchase the 5,800-square-foot building and business from Kevin and Nancy Kupec.
 
The seven-room B&B also includes two apartments for extended-stay travelers who are, say, in town on business or getting treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The partners spruced up the apartments and patio with new furniture. Russell says the partners are also counting on wedding business, tourists and weekday business travelers to book rooms.

Operating a B&B also enables Russell to generate more revenue for his Fells Point restaurants, which include Kooper's,Slainte and burger wagon Kooper's Chowhound. Combined, the businesses employee 140 people.

"I feel like we can generate more business from the restaurants by providing food for the guests," Russell says. He plans to offer a "real" breakfast to guests and serve food from the restaurants at cocktail parties and wedding receptions.

And women who need a place to get their hair done before getting married can turn to Russell as well. His wife and sister-in-law operate K Co. Design Salon and Day Spa in Mount Washington. Russell offers a car service from Celie's to the salon. 


Russell  and Irvin say they're keeping their eye out for more business to acquire. "We're very interested in expanding to become a very big company," but without spreading himself and his staff too thin.
 
So far, the inn has surpassed their expectations. It sold out during Memorial Day weekend, and bookings are more than 20 percent ahead of last year. Rooms cost between $149 and $400.

"Running an inn is very much like running your household. You get up and make breakfast but you make it for a few other folks," Russell says.

Wondering what else is happening in Fells Point? Find it here!

Source: Patrick Russell, Celie's
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

Kristopher Auer first started racing bikes 23 years ago. Now, he has turned his passion into a business in Hampden. Twenty20 Cycling Co. opened this month at 725 W. 36th Street. Auer and his two business partners, Norman Brach and Johnny May, invested $250,000 to transform a dilapidated garage into a full-service bike retail and repair shop.

Auer, who lives in nearby Remington, likes Hampden's Avenue because of it's always full of activity. "The Avenue has a lot of vibrancy," he says. "The unique shops make it a very Baltimore experience. It's the heart of the city in a certain sense. It's not downtown but not the county."

He also thought it was appropriate to open the shop in a part of town where it's easy to ride bikes. "It's a very bikeable part of town. The more people riding is better for the city. It's better for everyone."

Entry-level bikes run about $300, while a high-end custom bike can cost up to $10,000. "It's kind of like a car or stereo. If it's something you're into, why not ride the best."

Auer met his business partners through a cycling team that he runs. Auer also knew May from working at the Mt. Washington Bike Shop. Brach was a cycling client that Auer was training. "Serendipitously, everything came together."

Some of the costs of opening the 3,000-square-foot store was offset by a biking company called Specialized. The company helped the business owners design and lay out the store.  Twenty20 sells other bike brands as well.

Read about other efforts to green Baltimore here.


Source: Kristopher Auer, Tewenty20 Cycling Co.
Writer: Julekha Dash

A Chicago retail brokerage firm is expanding, opening a new office in downown Baltimore. The Sierra U.S. office will serve clients in the Mid-Atlantic, from Northern Virginia to Deleware, including Greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C., from its 2,000-square-foot office at 616 Water Street.

"There are pockets of Baltimore that are underserved," says Mark Mueller, a retail broker formerly with KLNB Retail pegged to head up Sierra's Baltimore office. Those pockets include Harbor East, South Baltimore, Howard County and Northern Baltimore County. The company's clients include Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao, Advance Auto Parts, Bar Louie and CVS.

"There are so many tenants looking to come to Washington and Baltimore," he continues. "Sierra has a lot of tenants that want to expand."

While the office currently employs a staff of three, there are plans to hire as many as eight brokers. "We're looking for experienced brokers, wherever they are," Mueller says.

Things are picking up in the retail world as business owners start to take advantage of good rent deals. Retail rents, on average, are 25 percent cheaper than they were in 2007, according to Mueller.
 
Tenants that can serve a particular niche are looking to fill existing spaces. Restaurants that are expanding are mid-range, rather than high-end, are the ones looking to grow nowadays, Mueller says. "You won't see new shopping centers built from the ground up as financing is still difficult.". 

In addition to the Chicago office, Sierra also has an office in Boca Raton, Fla. The company may open another office in Northern Virginia down the road, Mueller says.


Source: Mark Mueller, Sierra U.S.
Writer: Julekha Dash