This South Baltimore Business Roundup is brought to you by MedStar Health at Federal Hill:
Damaged Businesses in Baltimore
The city and state continues to access the damage from the riots last week. According to The Baltimore Sun more than 235 businesses have been damaged including CVS, Firestone and Bmore Betty in Federal Hill and No Limit Communications, Total Health Care, Dollar General and Nick’s Rotisserie in Pigtown (donate here). BaltimoreBusinessRecovery.org was launched last week to link damaged businesses with city, state and federal resources.
From an article in The Baltimore Sun:
Nick’s Rotisserie on Washington Boulevard sustained $8,000 to $10,000 in damage, between physical damage, looted food and a stolen cash register when it was struck Tuesday night, estimated owner Romano Fennoy. He expects insurance to cover some of the damage, but other help — like a carpenter sent over by a neighboring business — was critical to being able to reopen by Friday.
“The support for me was so overwhelming I couldn’t believe it,” said Fennoy, who opened the restaurant in 2007. “I just wish all areas would lend helping hands like those that have lent helping hands to me.”
Many crowdfunding campaigns have been launched to help these businesses rebuild, including a happy hour tonight to raise funds for damaged businesses in Mount Vernon. From the event description:
Historic Charles Street Association is co-hosting a fundraiser with Ware House 518 to raise funds to help these small businesses rebuild. There is a suggested $5 donation, and a portion of the food/bar sales will go toward the 15 affected businesses.
National Accolades for South Baltimore Restaurants
Eater.com has put out its ‘10 Hottest Baltimore Restaurants Right Now‘ list highlighting 10 ‘newish’ restaurants in Baltimore that are gaining serious buzz. Included in this list are Locust Point’s 1157 Kitchen & Bar, Federal Hill’s Bookmakers Cocktail Club and Horseshoe Casino Baltimore’s Johnny Sanchez.
About Bookmakers:
Dark, well-appointed, and a beacon of light in the sports bar mecca that is Federal Hill, this new space by Ryan Perlberg (Rye, Stuggy’s) has become home to some of the most innovative cocktails in the city.
About 1157 Kitchen & Bar:
This quaint, but modernly-appointed space in Locust Point has been slammed ever since chef/owner Jason Ambrose opened in mid-December. This is a more casual sister to his perennially lauded upscale restaurant Salt, and the food may seem decidedly low-key — wood-plank delivered sandwiches, small plates, and a couple daily entrees — but the flavors are anything but.
About Johnny Sanchez:
A joint effort from celebrity chefs John Besh and Aarón Sánchez, this modern Mexican taqueria inside the new Horseshoe Casino will have you re-thinking that casinos are all shady buffets and overpriced steak houses.
Tea & Breakfast has also named ‘The Best Soul Food Restaurants in America‘ and Pigtown’s Charm City Wings and Waffles made the list at #57:
Don’t let the name of the restaurant fool you. Yes, if you’re looking for multiple flavors of chicken wings and waffles you can find them here, but you can also find your pick of seafood from shrimp to crab cakes to tilapia. You’ve also got a range of salads to choose from, should you want to be healthy.
Babe Ruth Museum Getting a Makeover
The Babe Ruth Museum at 216 Emory St. in Ridgely’s Delight is getting a makeover. From an article on CBS Baltimore:
“We’re moving the entrance from the historic front of the museum over to the side on Dover Street,” said Michael Gibbons, Museum Development Director.
A new entrance for new times. When the row homes were built, no one was thinking about handicapped accessibility, modern electric, heating and cooling, or hundreds of people a day shimmying through a small row home.
“Which is going to bring the Babe Ruth birthplace into the 21st century. New exhibits, new entrance, all new look on the outside and the inside and helps to restore the historic facade of the building,” said Shawn Herne, Ruth Museum Development Director.
Betamore Featured in The Washington Post
The Washington Post has profiled Federal Hill’s Betamore located at 1111 Light Street. From the article:
Meyer’s incubator, called Betamore, is spearheading the city’s effort to sustain that momentum and cultivate that innovation-minded community. Started a little more than two years ago with about 8,000 square feet of space in the Federal Hill neighborhood, the operation was first set up as a for-profit venture, with a pay-for-deskspace model for young tech firms, coupled with highly technical education offerings, like coding and software classes.
Over the past year, the structure and mission of the organization has evolved, starting with a move to a nonprofit model and continuing late last year with the group absorbing the Greater Baltimore Technology Council, a membership organization that had run into financial troubles. This week, the Betamore team offered a glimpse into where their retooled organization is heading and how they plan to turn Baltimore into a thriving start-up hub.
Idle Hour Plans to Reopen
Idle Hour has announced on its Facebook Page that it will definitely reopen. Its Indiegogo campaign raised more than $26,000 of its $40,000 goal which has allowed the owners to get the loan they were hoping for. From Idle Hour’s recent post:
Since we updated you last, we have received great news from our new bank and the Baltimore Development Corporation. IDLE HOUR IS COMING BACK!! The structural plans are done and our contractor is ready. As soon as we receive the money from our fundraising campaign we will begin the permitting process and start the construction
Free Advertising for Businesses Affected by Curfew
LED Baltimore Billboard and AIGA Baltimore is offering a Businesses Recovery Program for businesses affected by the curfew. From the program description:
We are offering free ad space on the LED Baltimore Billboard located at 1700 N. Charles St. to any businesses who have lost income due to the curfew. We are primarily focusing on businesses which make the majority of their income after 9pm, but will accept any and all submissions from anyone adversely affected in recent events. This is an open call, however, not all business owners have the same access to information and social network exposure so please help share this offer throughout ALL neighborhoods. The goal is to help bring in extra business to make up for lost wages to employees and lost income to owners.
Funk Salon in Federal Hill Closed
Funk Salon in Federal Hill has closed at 900 Light St. The retail site currently has a banner advertising the space is for rent.
About MedStar Health at Federal Hill:
MedStar Health is the largest healthcare provider across Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region. And in July 2014, MedStar expanded its services in south Baltimore by opening a multispecialty care center in Federal Hill. The site, which is located at 1420 Key Highway, includes MedStar PromptCare, an urgent care center, as well as physician offices and physical therapy services. Medical services include experts in primary care, women’s health, cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, sports medicine, and orthopaedics. The site also has lab and X-ray services.
**Save the Date-Saturday, June 13, 11 am to 2 pm, MedStar Health will be hosting Celebrate Federal Hill, an event for the community, in honor of our upcoming one year anniversary in this community.