Iron Rooster to Open at McHenry Row in Locust Point, Will Replace The Greene Turtle and Piaza

Today, Iron Rooster was announced as the new tenant of McHenry Row in Locust Point. It will open this summer in the soon-to-close The Greene Turtle and Piaza spaces that total 7,000 sq. ft. The Greene Turtle downsized in 2015 from its original 7,000 sq. ft. space when Piaza opened its 2,000 sq. ft. location in a space that was formerly part of The Greene Turtle’s restaurant.

Approximately 100 full and part-time employees are expected to work at the McHenry Row location.

Iron Rooster opened its first location in Annapolis almost three years ago, opened a location in Canton in 2015, and a location in Hunt Valley in 2016. Iron Rooster focuses on “breakfast all day” with dishes including fried chicken and waffles, homemade pop tarts, benedicts, omelets, pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Traditional lunch and dinner entrées include sandwiches such as pulled pork, as well as country fried meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and shrimp and grits.

“Our breakfast-all-day concept is approachable and creates differentiation and separation from other restaurants,” said Kyle Algaze, founder and COO of Iron Rooster in a press release. “We chose McHenry Row because the surrounding area impresses us as a tight-knit community that enjoys great food and supports small businesses. As evidenced by our other locations, we intend to be extremely active in and supportive of the local community. Baltimore is extremely prideful. We are energized by that trait and we constantly search for ways to become engaged with residents and businesses.”

“Our customers know and appreciate the fact that they can order French toast at 7 or 8 pm in the evening,” Algaze continued. “In addition, we specialize in Southern comfort food, so they can expect large portions, which we believe is the magic formula for building and maintaining customer loyalty.”

“Although located only a short distance from our Canton Crossing location, we believe the Fort McHenry Tunnel is the great divider and that we will be able to create separate audiences at McHenry Row. We are able to expand because we have great people, which creates opportunities. We want to become a cornerstone in the community,” he added.

Iron Rooster has been named by the reservation website Open Table as one of the Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in the Country, and was also included in a list compiled by The Baltimore Sun for the Top 10 Brunches in Baltimore.

“Attracting locally-owned restaurants to our projects such as Iron Rooster advances our goal of creating one-of-a-kind environments, and avoids the cookie cutter tenant approach,” said Mark Sapperstein of 28 Walker Development. “Iron Rooster employs a proven concept with its breakfast-all-day menu, and the ownership has demonstrated its ability to achieve success in different venues. This is a significant win for local residents, business people, and visitors to the City.”

In a statement last week, The Greene Turtle announced it is exploring the possibility of opening another site in the area and thanked the area for its support over the past five years. The Greene Turtle has 22 additional locations.

Piaza owner David Crocetti told SouthBMore.com that he was not looking to sell but this “attractive opportunity” presented itself. Crocetti owns four Sonic restaurants, including one in South Baltimore, and is in the process of opening another one. He also owns Piaza’s other location in Berlin, MD and is in the process of opening another Piaza in Delaware. Crocetti said he will use the proceeds from the sale of the Piaza in McHenry Row toward his new businesses, and noted that selling his McHenry Row liquor license will allow him to apply for a liquor license in Berlin.

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.