Downtown Baltimore's newest restaurant,
Kona Grill, is spending $3 million to open for business at 1 E. Pratt St.
The Baltimore location, to open Oct. 4, is only the second downtown venue for Kona Grill, which operates 24 restaurants in 15 states.
The other downtown restaurant is located in Stamford, Conn. Typically, the chain selects suburban malls rather than city spots, Kona CEO Marc Buehler says.
But the company likes the
Inner Harbor's mix of office workers, tourists and conventioneers who will all hopefully take a bite out of the restaurant, Buehler says.
"We really think it's going to be a great site for us," Buehler says.
The nearly 7,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 189 inside an another 74 on its Pratt Street patio. The store will employ 120.
Last year, the Scottsdale, Ariz., company opened four restaurants in Richmond, Va.; Woodbridge, N.J.; Eden Prairie, Minn.; and Tampa, Fla. And it plans to open two or three restaurants next year, Buehler says. It continues to eye the East Coast � from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia. Buehler couldn't be more specific, as a publicly traded company.
The restaurant serves sushi, grilled meats and seafood, pizzas and salads. Buehler describes the concept as "polished casual," ranking with the Cheesecake Factory or P.F. Chang's.
It gets business from 21-to 35-year-olds for its happy hour and late night bar business, while its lunch and dinner crowds range from 24 to 54 years of age.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Marc Buehler, Kona Grill