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There's roast beef, and then there's the Original Roast Beef Sandwich - and it's coming to Sarasota this summer.

Kelly's Roast Beef, theiconic Boston-area restaurantknown for itslobster rolls, clam chowder and sandwiches piled with pastrami, chicken salad and roast beef, will opena 3,500-square-foot location in the Square at University Town Center in thesummer.

The fast-casual restaurantwill take overthe former Sweet Tomatoes location at 5407 University Parkway. Construction is expected to begin soon, and the site will have a drive-thru and both indoor and outdoor seating.

Kelly's, which started as a hot dog stand onRevere Beach north of Bostonin 1951, currently has four corporate-owned locations in Massachusetts. The companystarted franchising in 2020, and a story that ran in the Sun-Sentinelfrom that summer indicated an interest in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach markets.

More in restaurants: Webber's Hot Dogs in Sarasota changing hands

Places to eat: Yard House is coming to Sarasota

The expansion into Southwest Florida, however, is happening through a partnership with theMassachusetts-basedgroupbehind modern American restaurant concept 110 Grill. The company currently operatesfive brands - 110 Grill, Italian eatery Evviva Trattoria, amusement company Apex Entertainment, barbecue joint Willie Jewell's and now Kelly's.

Ryan Dion, 110 Grill's chief operating officer, said the company has the rights to franchise Kelly's in 22 Florida counties. His business partner spends winters in the Naples area, so they're familiar with the Florida market, and they think there's a dearth of quality sandwich and soup places in the area.

It also helps that Florida has few COVID restrictions, Dion said. That makes doing business here feel a bit more secure.

"Were excited that it'snot restricted down there, and also 1,000 new people relocate to Floridadaily which is extremely exciting," he said. "The weather also helps."

At Kelly's, customers can choose from sandwiches like the lobster roll -prepared Maine-style with diced celery and mayonnaise - the reuben, the pastrami sandwich and traditional grill dishes like hot dogs and hamburgers. The roast beef sandwich is usually served with barbecue sauce, Dion said, and it comes on a grilled sesame seed roll.

Sarasota will be the first location of Kelly's that 110 Grill brings to Florida, but it won't be its last. Already, the company has plans to bring Kelly's to Parrish, North Port and Venice, all in properties owned by University Town Center creator Benderson Development Co. of Manatee County.

Kelly's will be in the Cocoplum Village Shoppes at U.S. 41 and Sumter Boulevard in North Port, in the former Albertsons in Venice at 1590 U.S. 41 Bypass South and in Parrish's Creekside Commons.

"We believe Floridais a great state to do business in," Dion said.

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Kelly's Roast Beef is coming to Sarasota, other locations - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Chipotle is delivering - and this is why you should order now

Burrito fans rejoice! Customers at all 1800 Chipotles in the US can now have their food delivered.

Buzz60

FALL RIVER Bring on the burritos.

Its gonna be amazing its called lunch! exclaimed Dora Graca, referring to the imminent opening of a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant located within walking distance of her place of employment.

Graca manages the Delken dry cleaners and laundromat inside the William S. Canning Boulevard plaza owned and utilized by Ocean State Job Lot.

She likes the idea of not having to drive across the Route 81 boulevard to grab lunch at one of the eateries inside SouthCoast Marketplace the South End shopping center that is often clogged with drivers heading in and out.

I cant wait till it opens, Graca, 44, said.

The plan is for the Fall River Chipotle Mexican Grill, which sits near the entrance of the Ocean State Job Lot plaza,to open on Monday, Jan. 31, said Mikhail Johnson.

Johnson, who manages the Chipotle on Route 6 in Dartmouth, said hes been training a general manager, as well as other staff members, who will work at the Fall River Chipotle.

Pink Bean Express: Fall River gets its Mojo back with reopening of Pink Bean coffee shop

A spokesperson for the California-based chain said the company still has job openings at the Fall River site and is in a hiring mode across the country.

She said Chipotle hires an average of 25 people per location, with starting wages for entry level crew members ranging from $11 to $18 an hour. Chipotles national, average hourly wage, she said, is $15.

The minimum hourly wage in Massachusetts now stands at $14.25.

'So many jobs out there': SouthCoast businesses, staffing agencies on the hunt for workers

The companys website, however, says that a full-time crew member can earn the equivalent of $35,000 when company benefits and potential bonuses are factored into the equation.

It also says that a general manager, not including benefits and bonuses, earns a base annual salary of $80,000 and that a top-tier restaurateur who has been promoted from the general manager position earns at least $100,000 a year.

All employees are entitled to medical, dental and vision plans; a weeks vacation and a 401(k) retirement plan after a year on the job; storewide performance bonuses; and discounts on cell phone and gym membership plans.

Chipotle also has an employee referral program with bonuses ranging from $200 to $750 depending on the position being filled and offers qualifying candidates an educational assistance program that can total as much as $5,250 per year.

All 2,900 fast casual Chipotle restaurants in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and France are corporate-owned.

Soup spots: Warm your soul this winter at these Fall River area soup spots

The Fall River Chipotle will feature a Chipotlane drive-thru lane that allows customers to pick up orders without leaving their car.

The digital-order, drive-thru lane, which the company introduced in 2019, is available to customers who place food orders using the Chipotle mobile app or website.

Popular orders: Mexican-inspired foods, salads dominate DoorDash's 15 most popular food orders in US

Customers who dont order online and are accustomed to driving up and ordering will have to park and go inside the building.

Once a customer has downloaded the app its simply a matter of selecting the nearest store, the time you expect to arrive and whether you choose to use the Chipotlane; walk into the restaurant; or park in a designated parking space reserved for pickups.

In addition to 18 standard parking spaces, the Fall River Chipotle has three spaces reserved for app and online curbside pickup; two Burrito Loading Zone spaces for customers who have placed online or catering orders and prefer going inside the building; and two handicap parking spots.

It also has an outdoor patio with seating for 10 and 46 chairs inside the restaurant.

The Chipotle company in January 2021 said that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 that one third of its customers had tried its digital-ordering option, and that by third quarter of 2020 digital sales had tripled year over year and accounted for nearly 49 percent of total sales for the quarter.

At the Don Carlos Club: This new Fall River restaurant is serving up classic Italian fare favorites

Nearby competition for the Fall River Chipotle from other Mexican-style eateries include a Taco Bell on Mariano Bishop Boulevard; Fiesta Mexican Restaurant on Rhode Island Avenue; Qdoba Mexican Grill in SouthCoast Marketplace; and what by next summer will be a Pancheros Mexican Grill on Route 6 in Somerset.

The busy shopping district surrounding the Fall River Chipotle includes a number of fast food, or quick service, restaurants such as Subway, Wendys, Burger King and McDonalds. Theres also a Chik-fil-A now under construction inside SouthCoast Marketplace.

Fast food upgrade: Fall River Burger King gets major makeover as part of $32 million franchisee investment

Shawn Coelho, project manager for Cornerstone Design/Build Services, said his Swansea company finished building the 3,000-plus-square-foot Fall River restaurant in mid-December and delivered a certificate of occupancy to Chipotle on Jan. 13.

Coelho says in addition to the Fall River project, Cornerstone Design/Build last month finished construction of new Chipotle restaurants in Wareham and Smithfield, Rhode Island.

In the case of Smithfield, he said Chipotle decided to abandon an older store with no drive-thru and relocate a half-mile away into a brand new building equipped with a Chipotlane.

Coelho said it usually takes a week to 10 days for a Chipotle to open for business after a certificate of occupancy has been delivered.

The Chipotle spokesperson didnt provide an answer as to whether there has been difficulty in hiring staff for the Fall River location, and if so whether it might have accounted for a delay in the opening date.

Coelho, who has worked for Cornerstone Design/Build for 18 years, said his company had supply chain problems during the four months of construction in getting timely delivery of materials including rigid insulation, steel and wooden trusses.

He says his company did its best to anticipate delivery delays by placing large orders of certain materials well in advance.

The idea is to hoard it until you need it, he said.

Coelho said construction of the Fall River Chipotle building ended up being delayed three weeks as result of the supply chain problem.

He said other brands of fast casual Mexican-style restaurants that Cornerstone has built in recent years include Qdoba, Boston-based Boloco and Moes Southwest Grill.

Coelho also noted that a small building almost adjacent to the new Chipotle, whichonce had been a cell phone store, has been removed and replaced with a small island containing a pair ofsmall trees.

Ocean State Job Lot, he said, made the change in orderto create more parking for its customers.

Coelho sayseven beforehis work crew wasfinished working on the Chipotle building people would sometimes drive into the Chipotlane or walk up to the front door thinking that it was open.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has in recent years weathered some tough times in terms of negative publicity.

In 2020 it agreed to pay what was a largest of its kind $25 million criminal fine and institute a new food safety program, after the Justice Department charged the company with two counts of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

That came after more than 1,100 customers across the country who ate food from Chipotle became sick from 2015 to 2018.

Chipotle that same year also paid a nearly $1.4 million settlement to the office of the Massachusetts Attorney General in restitution and penalties for violating child labor laws.

It also voluntarily agreed to pay $500,000 into a fund to benefit young people in the commonwealth through educational programs and training.

Qdoba Mexican Grill, in 2019, was fined nearly $410,000 by the AGS office for child labor law violations in Massachusetts.

Chipotle, which began in 1993 as a Denver burrito shop,has managed to get past the bad publicity and continues to see its brand grow and expand.

The company has stated a goal of having 6,000 outlets throughout the international marketplace, according to the GOBankingRates website, which also reported that same-store sales in the second quarter of 2021 increased 31 percent.

The Fall River Chipotle will be open every day from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Charles Winokoor may be reached at cwinokoor@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism and subscribe to The Herald News today.

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Will you try the Chipotlane? Fall River Chipotle Mexican Grill nearly ready to roll - Fall River Herald News

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The two biggest health care projects currently under construction in the state are at opposite ends of the UAMS campus in Little Rock. Additions to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences campus in Little Rock account for two of the five biggest ongoing health care construction projects in Arkansas.

The $68.5 million Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital will provide operating rooms, patient rooms and offices as well as space for the orthopedic trauma, orthopedic oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation programs.

Construction of the 158,000-SF hospital reflects the growth of the UAMS orthopedic program and represents an expansion of the research and education offered by the UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute.

The second project, the $56 million Radiation Oncology Center, augments the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. The new 59,855-SF facility will house the states first proton therapy center in collaboration with Arkansas Childrens Hospital and Baptist Health.

UAMS officials believe the project will gain designation as a National Cancer Institute and bring millions of dollars in federal research funding and trials.

In southwest Arkansas, construction of the Sevier County Medical Center in De Queen is two months away from completion. The $18.5 million hospital will house 14 patient rooms and 10 ER rooms along with inpatient and outpatient services that include radiology, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scanning and behavioral health. A walking trail, restaurant and large community room are part of the development picture as well.

The publicly owned hospital will replace the privately owned De Queen Medical Center, which closed in February 2019 amid financial woes. Ten months later, Sevier County voters said yes to a 1% sales tax to build and support operations of the new 43,000-SF facility.

Expected to employ about 100, Sevier County Medical Center is considered a must-have amenity to attract industry. Without it, the nearest ER and inpatient care options are about 30 miles away.

A 66,500-SF addition to Conway Regional Hospital is moving toward completion in July. The $16.8 million project encompasses 24 patient intensive care unit rooms on the third floor and fourth-floor shell space for future needs. The development includes an atrium with an interior garden.

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Medical Projects Feed Construction Pipeline - Arkansas Business Online

Update, 1/21/2022 1:47 p.m. Flipd by IHOP is slated to open in summer 2022, according to a company representative.

Original story:

Construction is underway at the upcoming Flipd by IHOP location in Downtown Silver Spring, according to a report from The MoCo Show.

We reported last April that Flipd by IHOP, a new fast-casual concept from the chain known for its signature pancakes, will take the place once filled by Asian Bistro, next to Panera at 8537 Georgia Ave.

One of the principals, Sunil Shrestha, also is president ofUniversolutions, LLC, a northern Virginia software developer. The company was primarily a government contractor, but has switched to a focus on restaurants and real estate.

Shrestha and other family members own 10 IHOPs in the region, and operate other franchises, including Dairy Queens, under the umbrella ofNMS Holdings.

Flipd is a new concept started by IHOP, Shrestha said to the Source last April, adding that something is missing from IHOPthe quick service sector.

The concept had been in the works for a couple of years (Flipd was announcedin 2019) and isnow being marketed. Shresthra saw it as a way to fill that missing niche.

Its focus is mainly in the urban concept, where the foot traffic is high, where the office density is high, and where daytime and night population is high, Shrestha said last year. He sees all that in the Silver Spring location.

In addition, his company has had locations on Peterson property in the past, so he was familiar with them; IHOP liked the location as well.

The Flipd menu will include pancakes, breakfast burritos, pancake bowls with a variety of sweet and savory toppings, egg sandwiches, burgers and other sandwiches, salads and grab-and-go items, according to a company announcement. It will target day and night diners.

Its something different from what you see in the market right now in the quick-service sector, Shrestha said last year.

An opening date has not been announced; an IHOP spokesperson said last year that they were targeting a late 2021 opening. Thrillist reported yesterday that Flipd by IHOPs second location opened this week in New York City; the first opened in Lawrence, Kansas last year.

Flipd by IHOP is one of several recent and upcoming restaurant openings in Silver Spring, including The Breakfast Club, Firepan Korean BBQ,J. Hollingers,Dog Haus Biergarten,Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen,Black Lion Caf,Willie Ts Seafood Shack/Be Right Burger,Underground Pizza Company,Kusshi Ko,Miss Toyas Creole House, and theCommas food hall at Ellsworth Place.

Photo by David Lay. Rendering courtesy Sunil Shrestha

Link:
Flip'd by IHOP Construction Underway - Source of the Spring

The 10-year challenge has been circulating on social media for quite some time.

The fad, which hasgrown in popularity at the start of 2022, is designed to make people look back to a photo of themselves from 10 years ago and compare it to one today.

In honor of thetrend, here's a look at some of the changes certainWilmington places have experienced during the past 10 years.

In 2012, Cape Fear Community Colleges Union Station was still under construction. The building, at the corner of Front and Red Cross streets, provided more classrooms for the growing college, expanded health care training labsand a student services center.

It was designed after the original Wilmington Union Station that stood in the same location. Thatbuilding opened in 1913 and wasdemolished in 1970.

Kenny McManus opened Lanes Ferry Dock & Grill in 2011 at 11016 NC Highway 210 in Rocky Point. The restaurant was located in the old general store that was constructed in 1932 close to the banks of the Northeast Cape Fear River.

Sadly, flooding from Hurricane Florence in September 2018 damaged the historic building and left McManus without a home for his very popular restaurant.

With the help of a GoFundMe campaign McManus opened Lanes Ferry Food Truck in 2019.

The truck is open every week from Wednesday through Saturday. Hes at Eagle island Seafood every Wednesday and Jerrys Barber Shop in Rocky Point several other days during a month. For the schedule check http://www.lanesferry.com.

In 2012, the PPD building was one of the only major developments along the Cape Fear River on the north end of downtown Wilmington.

Since then, almost the entire area has been developed and PPD was sold to Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. in late 2021.

More: 'Business as usual:' Amid sale, PPD to keep its footprint in downtown Wilmington

The $65 million mixed-use Pier 33 development can be seen along the water in the picture from 2022.

Residents began moving into the development in 2020. The project has 286 residencies, 525 parking spaces and 20,000 feet of commercial space.

In 2012, South Front Apartments was still in the process of being renovated at the site of the former Nesbitt Courts housing project. The housing opened in 1940 and closed in 2007.

The Wilmington Housing Authority sold the 13-acre property in 2010 to Tribute Properties for its redevelopment.

The $9.4 million North Third Street project took place in 2012. It included the replacement of water and sewer lines, underground utilities as well as new street paving, sidewalks, curbs, lighting and traffic signals.

The Battleship North Carolina has seen plenty of change over the past 10 years.

In 2021 the popular tourist attraction completed a $14 million repair project. The project included repairs on the ships hull that had deteriorated over the years and a beautiful walkway that now circles the ship.

The north end of downtown Wilmington looks very different than it did in 2012.

In the election that year, voters overwhelmingly chose not to spend $37 million on a baseball stadium that would have brought a minor-league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves to the north end of Wilmington.

Since then the entire area has seen various developments.

This specific area next to the Isabel Holmes Bridge is the current location for the Sawmill Point Apartments.

The long-awaited store began construction in 2012 and opened its doors on Nov. 30, 2012.

The 13,000-square-foot specialty grocery store is known for its rabid fans and many in the area had been trying to get one of the stores in Wilmington for several years. The store sits on more than anacreat the corner of S. College Roadand Oleander Drive.

The long wait for a VA clinic in Wilmington finally ended when the clinic opened in April of 2013 after being under construction for allof 2012.The building is locatednext toWilmington International Airport at 1705 Gardner Drive.

The rest is here:
10-year challenge: What has changed in Wilmington since 2012 - StarNewsOnline.com

Barbara M. Houle| Correspondent

Wayne Taylor, new to Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfield, is an executive chef who brings skill and charismatic personality to the family-owned and operated restaurant that marks 61 years in business in June.

Taylor channels his passion for cooking through food that falls in the category of classic American cuisine. Depending on the restaurant, his signature dishes have slightly different takes, he said. Different variations, said Taylor, an experienced chef with a long history in the hospitality industry.

He got on board at Salem Cross last summer and as head chef shares the kitchen with chefs and best friends James Bliss and Patrick Carroll. At times in our careers we all worked the line beside one another, said Taylor, who explained he met Nancy Salem through an introduction from Carroll. When I told Patrick (Carroll) that I needed a new project after my last job, he put me in contact with Nancy, who was looking to hire a chef, said Taylor. Nancy Salem and her brothers and sisters own and operate Salem Cross Inn.

Taylor of Brookfield is a lifelong fan of Salem Cross. The place has ambience and the food and events are awesome, he said. The Salem family members want to ensure people have a great experience when theyre on the property, and they go out of their way to make it happen.

Originally from Brimfield, Taylor graduated fromTantasquaHigh School in Sturbridge and Johnson & Wales University in Providence. He has worked the line at hotels, restaurants, catering companies and at Eddy Pond in Auburn when the senior facility first opened. In Sturbridge, he has worked for the Publick House, Ox Head Tavern and Host Hotel and Conference Center. Hes done gigs at the Brimfield Flea Market and a stint at the former Mad Maggies (Route 20) in Charlton, a steak and ale house.

He spent his formative cooking years on Nantucket in restaurants. Through word of mouth, Taylor was hired to prepare meals in clients homes and at small intimate weddings and parties. He said he loved working with fresh Atlantic seafood and seasonal summer recipes highlighting the islands cuisine.Friends and colleagues sometimes went to Nantucket to work with the chef. Off-season, Taylor said, he took jobs in construction, etc.

With 25 years of industry experience under his belt, single and in his 40s, Taylor left Nantucket around the time the pandemic hit. He returned to the Sturbridge area and worked at the Host Hotel and at local events and functions before deciding to take vacation. Referring to himself as a rogue chef, he contacted Carroll when he got antsy to get back to work, he said. For a while I thought I was out of the restaurant game, said Taylor. Then I met the Salem family.

Salem Cross guests have come to appreciate its excellent cuisine, atmosphere and special events such as the annual sold-out Fireplace Feast, according to Taylor, who said the restaurant offersColonialcuisine, a type of quality comfort food that utilizes not only ingredients grown on the property, but also supports local agriculture whenever available. The Salem Cross farm-raised beef is featured on the restaurants menu, with prime rib a signature dish alongside other favorites like the Signature Sirloin and Salem Cross Farm Burger, he said.

The chef likes to tweak the menu now and then, adding a new appetizer such as prime rib potato skins, or the authentic German Schnitzel in the fall.He also likes to mix and get creative with ingredients and ups the ante with sauces, dressings, herbs and spices.

The current restaurant menu offers starters, salads, sandwiches and entrees that include a Skillet Roasted Pork Chop (bone-in, apple bacon jam, cider supreme sauce, toasted walnuts); Cedar Plank BBQ Salmon (rosemary BBQ glaze, frizzled sweet potato); Succotash Roasted Acorn Squash (sage and cranberry corn polenta, white beans, caramelized onion, spinach, red pepper relish, maple drizzle, toasted pumpkin seeds); Maple Jack Chicken (melted Monterey Jack, local maple syrup, bacon, roasted tomatoes). Seasonal libations, beers and seltzers and wine are available. So are desserts!

Salem Cross Inn is not a pretentious restaurant, said Taylor, despite what some people may think. His take is the more flannel, the better!

Taylor is definitely enthusiastic, personable and descriptive in conversation. Hes into English literature, he said, and likes playing with words when creating menus. Hes a stickler for spelling.

For this interview, he left the traditional chefs jacket (black or white) in the closet and wore one with colorful printed pineapples, reminding us that the pineapple is symbolic of hospitality and celebration. He feels at home at Salem Cross and welcomed as part of the family, he said.

The kitchen team and everyone who works the front of the house are here for each other, said Taylor. We learn together. Ive always believed that if you make great food and are consistent, people will come to your restaurant.

The chefs Valentines Day Specials 2022 will be offered Feb. 12-14, by reservation only. Call(508) 867-2345 or visit http://www.salemcrossinn.com.

The menu:Ros Buttered Roasted Oysters; Kumquat Salad Lyonnaise; Pink Peppercorn Crusted Lamb Lollipops.Entrees: Drover Roasted Prime Rib Au Jus; Atlantic Swordfish Oscar;Surf and Turfy (with filet mignon and grilled butterflied jumbo shrimp); Champagne and Asparagus Risotto. Sweet Endings: Chocolate Seduction (flourless walnut crusted chocolate terrine with crme anglaise); Strawberry White Chocolate Tiramisu; and Love Bird Cream Puffs.

Salem Cross Inn, 260 W. Main St. (Route 9), West Brookfield currently is not open for lunch. Dining room hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Special COVID 19 notes can be found on the website. Call about booking weddings, etc. Note: TheHexmarkTavern at Salem Cross Inn is not open at this time. The Salem family plans to resume outdoor dining on the lawn this summer.

The picturesque, award-winning Salem Cross Inn has built a solid reputation on good food, ambience and family. The new chef helps continue the tradition.

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Table Hoppin': Executive chef embraces Salem Cross Inn's history of food and family - Worcester Mag

Located at I-45 and El Dorado Blvd., the development is close to multiple major landmarks in the area, such as Baybrook Mall, the Johnson Space Center and Kemah Boardwalk. (Rendering courtesy Regency Centers)

A new Houston development entitled Eastfield at Baybrook is expected to break ground and open in 2022.

Located at I-45 and El Dorado Blvd., the development is close to multiple major landmarks in the area, such as Baybrook Mall, the Johnson Space Center and Kemah Boardwalk. The project is being anchored by an H-E-B shopping center, according to Regency Centers, the real estate investment company behind the development.

The H-E-B shopping center is expected to be 105,260 square feet, according to construction documents, with the other stores taking up 29,650 square feet.

Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of this year and be completed in the fourth quarter, said Eric Davidson, senior manager of communications for Regency Centers.

Other tenants that are confirmed for the development include hot chicken restaurant Daves Hot Chicken, liquor store Twin Liquors, bistro-style restaurant Cafe Express, nail salon Nails of America and pizza restaurant Parrys Pizzeria & Taphouse.

Davidson said the businesses are expected to open in the first quarter of 2023 if the build-outs go smoothly.

The development is 80% leased, leaving room for the company to select the remaining tenants that will benefit the area the most, according to Davidson.

It also helps ensure that we are bringing a destination that will meet the everyday needs as well as the lifestyle interests of the surrounding community, Davidson said via email.

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New Eastfield at Baybrook development to break ground in 2022, anchored by H-E-B - Community Impact Newspaper

Bluffton Today| Bluffton Today

The town of Bluffton is asking residents to be mindful of partial street closures and construction zones as water and sewer lines are installed for the development at 71 Calhoun St.

Construction work is scheduled for Jan. 17-29 and will impact parts of Calhoun and Green streets in the Old Town historic district, a news release said.

Please avoid the area or be mindful of alternative routes if you are in the vicinity of the intersections of Calhoun and Green Streets, the town said.

The contractor is scheduled to complete this project phase by Friday, January 28 depending on weather and other variables. Any impacts to pavement and/or sidewalks will be repaired after construction is complete.

The town approved plans in fall 2020 for three mixed-use buildings at the former site ofa 1950sfilling station and the store Eggs N Tricities.The development will be known as The Bridge At Calhoun.

The filling station, built in 1952,was added toBlufftons Historic Resources Survey in 2008. Eggs N Tricities occupied the building for about 25 years before relocating to Lawton Street in 2015. In 2016, the structure was removed from the survey and torn downa year later.

A description of the development onShoreline Construction's website says it will include"a destination restaurant, six retail spaces, and twelve upscale residential units."

The following construction schedule is subject to weather delays, the town said:

On Jan. 18, Green Street will be partially closed all day for sewer construction.

On Jan. 24-25, night work is scheduled for Calhoun Street for sewer construction. Work is scheduled to stop by 10 p.m. to minimize noise and traffic impact.

On Jan. 25, be mindful of temporary plates across Calhoun Street near Green Street.

From Jan. 25-28, Calhoun Street construction work will continue as existing water/sewer lines are abandoned.

The town said residents who have questions about the process can contact Shoreline Construction at 843-645-6920.

The town also said the playground at DuBois Park in the historic district will be closed Jan. 17-28 as a contractor replaces its synthetic turf. The work is expected to be complete by Saturday, Jan. 29.

Town staff and leaders are mindful DuBois Park is a very popular park and will reopen the playground earlier if possible, the town said. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as the playground undergoes needed maintenance.

Anyone who has questions about the project can contact Pat Rooney at prooney@townofbluffton.com 843-706-4521, the town said.

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Drivers urged to 'be mindful' of construction zones on Bluffton's Calhoun Street - Bluffton Today

When Galveston Seafood Company opened in early March 2020, who knew that in a week a pandemic would hit like a rogue wave.

Its home portwas the iconic Towne Crier Steakhouse, which opened in 1966 at 818 E. Highway 80 and closed in 2016.

As indoor dining ceased across the state, Robert Ochoa Sr. and his son, Robert Ochoa Jr., pivoted from their original business plan to showcasequality seafoodreminiscent of Robert Sr.'s Galveston upbringing.

"I went to a survival menu instantly," Robert Ochoa Sr. said.

The plan quickly changed.

"I had it made out and printed that night and we implemented it the next daywhere we would have meatloaf and certain staples that we made really well."

The menu was pared to dishes thatmaintained their quality fortake-out orders.

A seafood restaurant in the old Germany-styledbuilding with wooden beams in the high-loft interior is not a stretch aesthetically for Ochoa.

"I always called it the capsizedship," Ochoa said. "When you look up, it looks like a boat that's capsized."

Far from capsizing, Galveston Seafood Company adapted to anew pandemic normal, returned to a menu dominated by fresh seafood and implemented an aggressive social media campaign.

Not only has the restaurant stayed afloat, it has found a new port of call.

A second location at 4534 Buffalo Gap Road opened Nov. 1.

It's tucked at the west end of a shopping center, in a spot previously occupied by Don Luis Caf and years ago Spano's Italian Restaurant.

At the new location, extensive renovations in the dining areainclude removingcolumns, replacing the lighting and painting the walls white to brighten the atmosphere.Large black-and-white photos of Galveston landmarks and waterways convey the coastal vibe. The kitchen and bathrooms also were remodeled,Ochoa said.

Ochoa has been a businessman since 1983, but this is his first restaurant, he said.

"I'm in techmore than anything. I've been in tech since '97," Ochoa said.

Although he worked mainly in the floral sector, the tech background is instrument in Ochoa's handling of restaurant operations. He credits his wife, Elizabeth, as the impetus for the the new venture.

"She thought there should be better seafood offerings in the town," Ochoa said.

That dovetailed with his younger days of joining friends to sein shrimp, crabs and fish and harvestoysters for a beach bonfire and feast.He said he also worked in the 1970s at Gaido's Seafood Restaurant, a Galveston landmark known for hand-prepared fresh seafood and white-tablecloth service.

Zestier seafoods then entered his life, thanks to hisprevious wife,and Robert Jr.'s mother, who was from Oakdale, Louisiana.

"That's how I got my first stint inlearning how to cook Cajun food and real Southern food," Ochoa said.

He honed his cooking skills by watching shows with Graham Kerr ("The Galloping Gourmet"), Julia Childs and Justin Wilson, known for his Cajun-inspired cuisine.

"When my son was born, I would take him fishing and crabbing and we did this for decades. We'd cook what we catch," he said.

Before the restaurant opened, Robert Jr. worked for a friend in buying shrimp directly from the boats and selling the product to H-E-B and other outlets, Ochoa said.

"He then got his owncommercial fishing boat catching red snapper," Ochoa said about his son,who also had a construction and cleaning company.

Galveston Seafood Company's food is personal for Ochoa, more like cooking from home.

"Some of what we have you won't taste anywhere else," Ochoa said.

To gauge his restaurant's food, Ochoa ate at restaurants along the way to Florida on a trip four months ago. Those included "some of the biggest restaurants known for their food," he said.

He said he wanted to know where his food stood.

"I would put our best 15 items against their best 15, and we would beat them," Ochoa said. "I had no idea what we were up there, because when you grow up around seafood, you just don't think about it."

Non-seafood items are on the menu too, and not just as an afterthought.

"We keep the staples of chicken fried steak and other stuff so people who don't want seafood can eat the other things," Ochoa said.

Ribeye steaks are hand cut, and the chicken fried steak is made with wagyu beef, Ochoa said.

"I'm not a chicken fried steak. person, but the people who are, they rave about it," he said.

And, he hopes people who think they don't like seafood to give their dishes a chance.

"They've never tasted really good seafood, and they never gave their palate a chance to see which type of seafood they like and they don't like. Maybe they would like a pan fried, clean tasting fish because most people do not like a fishy taste," Ochoa said.

The menu continues to be a few stapled letter-sized white pages, allowing for quick changes.

"We're always trying to refine what we do because we never want to be like a one-trick pony," Ochoa said.

Flexibility allows them to capitalize on product availability, test new recipes and adapt to customer behavior.

"We started with just traditional,regular, everyday menu items to get people to taste our catfish, this and that so they could see the difference between what they think is good catfish, and what good catfish really tastes like," Ochoa said.

Next, "we started introducing better dishes with scallops and different types of sauces and this and that," he said.

Changes also can be in sourcing their proteins. Alligator previously was prebattered when ordered.

"Now, we get alligator filets. We filet them out and then we make fresh alligator nachos, alligator bites," Ochoa said.

A more recent adjustment has been the introduction of seafood platters and lobster.

Ochoa said the quality of their seafood, such as bigger shrimp, is one reason their food stands out.

The No. 1 seller is the catfish platter, followed by Cajun seafood pasta, fish and chips, shrimp alfredo and red fish Pontchartrain.

A flexible menu is in keeping with Ochoa's business strategy to pivot operations in response to market conditions.

That means the staff of about 45 is rotated between locations to respond to ebbs and flows in customer traffic and maintain food consistency.

And, days of service are altered when needed. The restaurants recently shifted days of operation to Wednesday through Sunday, partlyin response to the Omicron variant's spike in COVID-19 cases, Ochoa said.

Compressed hours may continue at the south-side location as construction progresses on Buffalo Gap Road.

The next big change will be the introduction of Sunday brunch in about two weeks, with free mimosas.

"That's gonna have new stuff you've never seen before," Ochoa said about the brunch menu.

Robert Jr. has become the face of Galveston Seafood Company through his daily Facebook videos about hours, menu specials and free offers.

"That got us into another sector to where people look for his videos every day to see. We can'tgo anywhere without somebody knowing who he is," Ochoa said.

Connecting with customers face to face is important too, he said, to foster word-of-mouth advertising. His philosophy is simple:"touch every table, talk to every customer."

At the end of the day, however, the most personal aspect of the restaurant may be the food reminiscent of Ochoa's coastal days.

When he discussed the restaurant idea with his family, "I said I'd like to share that experience with people in Abilene because I really fell in love with the city and the people," Ochoa said.

Laura Gutschke is a general assignment reporterand food columnist and manages online content for the Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalistswith a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.

Read more:
Galveston Seafood Company sailed against pandemic headwinds to bring coastal fare to Abilene - Abilene Reporter-News

TAMPA Franklin Development Corp., a commercial and residential developer and general contractor, has hired Tara Matheny as chief development officer and Rhett Mullins as chief construction officer.

Courtesy. Tara Matheny is Franklin Development Corp.'s new chief development officer.

In a news release, the Tampa-based firm says Floridas housing and construction boom has resulted in 230% revenue growth, year-over-year, since 2017 prompting it to expand its executive leadership team. Its recently completed projects include Fords Garage in Sarasota and Tiki Docks in both St. Petersburg and Riverview.

Matheny, the release states, comes to Franklin from 23 Restaurant Services, where she served as vice president of brand development and helped the company land more than $70 million in sales in six years.

Proactiveness and pursuing excellence are my biggest motivators, which naturally align with Franklins A Better Way to Build tenet, Matheny states in the release. I am grateful for this opportunity to contribute to the companys growth, further evolution of culture, customer experience and community support.

Mullins, meanwhile, boasts 15 years of construction industry experience, most recently with Better Homes. He has also owned and operated a residential and commercial development company.

Building relationships based on efficiency is simple, and Franklin Development Corp. delivers clarity, preparedness and payments to their trade partners a rare and valuable consistency that made my decision to join the team an easy one, Mullins states in the release.

Read more here:
Developer, on the strength of 230% growth, adds to executive team - Business Observer