July 28, 2007

A New Restaurant to Open In The Hardware Store !




We Are Getting a New Restaurant in Town !


A Brand New Place, With Old Time Charm - A Place Where Everyone Know's Your Name.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

congrats! that space deserves a nice restaurant!

it will be great to have more choices for dining in the village!

i heard we also have a new italian coffee shop on edmondson ave.@ the junction that sounds nice.

what a great time to live in catonsville!

Anonymous said...

Hooray! Please tell us more.

Anonymous said...

awesome!!!

hopefully another place we can walk to to get something good to eat!!!

we love being able to leave our car home!!!

now...

if we could only get a nice,small food store!!!

Anonymous said...

What type of restaurant is this?

Is it a BYOB place?

Did they obtain a liquor license?

Please tell us more ASAP!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Much of the energy in favor of the Promenade comes from the good things Steve Whalen has done. Craig Witzke and his family have eased the pain of losing loved ones for generations of Catonsville families. Why not express our gratefulness by supporting his efforts to obtain a liquor license? Write to Jim Smith and Sam Moxley, and add this bit of background. Might help. Can't hurt...

Anonymous said...

We're absolutely for more options in terms of dining in Catonsville. We're happy to show support for a liquor license but really would like to know what kind of dining establishment we would be supporting. What is the cuisine? The capacity? The theme? Will it be a nonsmoking establishment even before any statewide ban takes effect? Are we talking about a full liquor license or a beer & wine license?

Anonymous said...

I would love to answer all of your questions. However, at this time I am not able to do so. The new owners need to finalize a few more things first.
I can tell you that they are planning on offering BYOB, there will be a Market element to the restaurant and the food is terrific! As soon as they are ready to share more information I will let you know. Craig W.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope that this new offering on "Main Street" is done in a first-class way. Much of the sentiment in favor of the Promenade has to do with the likelihood that the shops, restaurants would be clean and attractive. An amateurish effort will only increase pressure for the Promenade.

Anonymous said...

Amateurish? Are you refering to anyone already on Frederick Rd? Or what?
We will not have any Hotels, Theater's or Major Retailers like the Promenade is proposing.
But, it also will not be just a crab house filled with picnic tables. It will be a much nicer than that.
The owner's want it to be a place where Catonsville residents will want to dine, several times a week. Craig W

Anonymous said...

The business community in Catonsville needs to generate support for revitalization vs abandonment in favor of the Promenade. Anything that falls short at this new eatery will simply hasten the demise of the business district. It's as simple as that. Students, newcomers, and many residents who feel underserved will simply vote with their dollars to go elsewhere-i.e, the Promenade. Main Street Catonsville holds emotional appeal for fewer and fewer people all the time. We must give them sound reasons to here.

Anonymous said...

When will it open?
We leave Catonsville almost every time we go out to eat.
(Unless we eat at Chef P's)
I hope the new owner's are nice and the food is good.

Anonymous said...

WOW! The suspense is killing us!
Sure hope they have a BIKE RACK and some OUTDOOR SEATING!
Way to go Craig...keep up the good work!
Maybe we can save the village!
I for one sure hope so!
WE love the character that an authentic town/village has, not just a sterile new shopping center that is trying to look that way!

Anonymous said...

When will you start hiring? Some of us are not happy (me included)where we are. We would like to work for respectable owners!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to Craig for doing the work needed to bring this restaurant into "the village." We need details ASAP. We want a lot of "buzz" so that our neighbors will be on the lookout for the opening. Some means of identifying the location, in addition to "the hardware store" would be helpful. "Between the post office and the firehouse", "across from Ships's Cafe", something along these lines would give potential customers visual cues about the location-rather than a reference to a store that had little curb appeal, and has no meaning for residents, new and old, who never shopped there. Just a thought...

Anonymous said...

The New Business will be Located at
829 Frederick Rd.
Just East of Newburg Avenue
3 doors down from Salem Lutheran Church

Across the Street from the Old 828 Bar CW

Anonymous said...

I read about a place that doesn't have a liquor license. On occasion they invite people to bring their homemade wine and home brewed beer in for taste contests. The contestants share their libations with the patrons, everyone pays to enter and can win prizes.

Anonymous said...

References to 3 doors down from Salem Lutheran Church, east of Newburg Avenue, across from the old 828 are great-but ONLY IF YOU KNOW WHERE/WHAT THOSE PLACES ARE. Between landmarks-such as the firehouse and the post office-give clear info to the location. I wouldn't hesitate to note "Across from R.C. Rodger's" or better still "Across from Ship's Cafe". "Look for the blue awning"-whatever will give a quick visual reference.

Anonymous said...

The Proprietor's of this new venture will certainly make sure that potential customers know exactly where it is and can find it easily.
cw

Anonymous said...

Good Luck with the new adventure in the old hardware store. I feel there should be no competion with established restaurants in Catonsville,unless they are threatened because their food and atmosphere are inferior.

Anonymous said...

This is very exciting, and shows what can be accomplished when people keep focused on a goal. The buzz around Catonsville is VERY positive about this new venture!

Please keep us updated as possible, and thanks for your efforts on behalf of all of us!

Anonymous said...

There is a lot of excitement about the new place opening up.
We can't wait!
I can't believe that the guy from Ships wouldn't support Nacho Mama's. It would have really helped his business. I know of quite a few people that refuse to eat there anymore (some were regular customers)because of how greedy he is. I know that I will BYOB and enjoy Sea Food at the "Hardware Store"

Anonymous said...

Ships is off our list too because of their silly games!
Sorry Mr.Ship,we use to enjoy your place!
Looking forward to a new restaurant!
Like some of the previous comments, we look forward to
MORE CHOICES and hopefully some outdoor seating!Thanks Craig for your vision!
All the best! Scott

Anonymous said...

When are we going to get more information. I assume the new owners have settled their finances if there are workers in the old hardware store. Drove by today and saw them working. When do we get the details.

Anonymous said...

Sean Dunworth will be opening
The Catonsville Gourmet
Market and Fine Foods

It will be a place to buy high quality Fresh Seafood , Meats and More.

Target opening is November.

He will be posting a more details here soon.

Craig W.

Anonymous said...

This is what I have been waiting for. I can't wait for it to open up!

Anonymous said...

Finally, a QUALITY seafood restaurant in town!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I just have a comment about an anonymous writter that wrote back on Aug 3rd. In reference to Muir's Hardware as " little curb appeal, no meaning for residents, new and old, who never shopped there!" I knew the man that owned " the hardware store." He owned that store for 67 years. Beleive it or not years ago that was one of the only places people could come and get what they needed. NEW People that have moved to Catonsville over the last couple of years never got a chance to know the man that owned the store. I believe that if they did know him they would have come into Muir's just to talk to him. He was that kind of man!I man that knew pretty much all there was about Catonsville. That man was my grandfather and I dont appreciate people saying that his life's work was meaningless. I am all for change in Catonsville and I wish Craig the best of luck in what ever he opens up in the stores place... but to me and to alot of people in Catonsville no matter what go there it will always be "Muir's!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Lindsay, thanks for adding that comment. I've been living in Catonsville for 13 years and while I can't say I knew your grandfather, I was one of the newbies who enjoyed going into his store whenever I could find a reason (and at 37, I still consider myself young). He didn't know me from Adam, but he always good-naturedly razzed me about whatever it was I was asking about--nearly always before producing what I couldn't find at the bix boxes. I have always looooved Muir's storefront, and even though I'm desperate for some serious movement towards reclaiming our downtown area before it's gone, I'm going to be incredibly sad if they take down the signage. Yes, I recognize it's the price we'll all have to pay for a potential anchor store (come on Hamdenization!), but it still makes me sad. God bless!

Anonymous said...

I knew Mr. Muir over many years. Bought lots of merchandise from him, and was always delighted to talk to him. He was supremely intelligent, and always quick to share a memory. He was one of Catonsviile's treasures. Does the storefront have much eye appeal? If you did not know, or had not heard about Mr. Muir, would you be eager to visit? Read my email carefully and you will see that it is not belittling one of Catonsville's legendary institutions and the wonderful man who ran it. It is about attracting people to what was the location of his place of business. 25,000 cars per day travel Frederick Rd. Why do so few stop? We need a way to make them want to get out of their cars and "into" the village. Focusing on a shop that once was, and the genial man with the sparkle in his eye and ready smile who made you glad you stopped in, won't get people to stop. My point being if they never knew Mr. Muir his storefront would have no meaning beyond it's appearance.Mr. Muir understood change-he once remarked to me that Home Depot was killing his trade, that selling 15 cent washers to people was not a sustainable business model. Let's take a vision that flourished for 60 some years and update it. It won't take away from Mr. Muir, and the service he gave this community for so many years. Focusing on memories of life in the village is always fun. But it will take well thought out planning born of careful thinking to ensure that we have something to pass on to our children and grandchildren. To create-then to preserve-a functional Main Street. Again, read my email closely. There's nothing I wrote that I wouldn't have said to Mr. Muir in person. And I never said that his work was meaningless. But, if you never did business there, and if you didn't know the unique person who owned it, the site itself would hold little interest. Am I missing the boat here? Will focusing on "what was" be of interest to people who never knew about what "once was?" And will it diminish the love we feel for Mr. Muir?

Anonymous said...

Craig, I am enjoying watching the evolution of your project. I walk by every week just to see the new sidewalks and all the work you are doing...Love the brick work for what I imagine will be a planter of some sort...maybe a fountain??? I too look forward to another choice for dining. You are a visionary, keep up the good work! So far everything you have done looks great! Best of Luck

On the Lighter Side!