Yes Chef! Expands at McHenry Row with New Fast-Casual Menu
Yes Chef! has expanded its square footage at McHenry Row in Locust Point by taking over the former Clean Juice space next door. The expansion takes Yes Chef! from 1700 sq. ft. to 2,904 sq. ft. With the new space, Yes Chef! will add a fast-casual menu to go along with its marketplace items, heat-and-eat meals, and commercial kitchen space.
Yes Chef!, which was started three years ago by Chef Clint Roze and Jodi Roze, is a prepared meal service that also does catering. Yes Chef! first opened its retail marketplace at McHenry Row in November 2021. The marketplace has been closed since the beginning of October 2022 while construction for the expansion has been underway. It will reopen on Saturday.
Jodi Roze told SouthBMore.com they weren’t really looking to expand, but when the restaurant space next door became available, they thought it was an opportunity that was “too good to be true.”
The fast-casual menu at Yes Chef! will focus on sandwiches, paninis, wraps, salads, soups, smoothies, Taharka Brothers milkshakes, hot chocolate floats, and desserts.
The sandwiches use house-made meats such as roasted turkey, prime rib, and chicken, as well as “Christmas-style” ham. Paninis include Jerk Chicken, Turkey and Brie, Turkey Caprese, Prime Rib, and a Tofu Bahn Mi. Sandwiches include the Smoked Turkey Club, Pesto Turkey, the Dixie Ham and Cheese, and Balsamic and Blue Roast Beef, and the Chipotle Chicken.
Breakfast paninis will be available on Saturdays.
The salads include the Mediterranean, Southwest, Smokey BBQ, Mandarin, and Caesar.
Smoothies include fresh fruit and are made with milk and dairy-free milk.
Soups will include weekly specials and vegan and non-vegan chilis.
Yes Chef! will be open Monday to Thursday from 11am to 7pm, Friday from 11am to 4pm, and Saturday from 9am to 2pm.
Yes Chef! has seating for 19 between tables and a bar top.
Customers can also buy items from the marketplace that include heat-and-eat meals to take home, peanuts from the peanut bar, and different items from 18 Maryland-based businesses such as Route One Apparel, Southeastern Roastery, Baltimore Coffee and Tea, Taharka Brothers ice cream, Mouth Party, MFG Toffee, BarkCO, and more.
Clint and Jody Roze said the most popular heat-and-eat meals are salmon, beef pot roast, jerk chicken, and pot pies, as well as ramen when it’s seasonally available.
The Rozes have been busy with their growing catering business that does six-plus events a week. The prepared meal service also has more than 70 clients and offers free delivery in South Baltimore.
The Rozes told SouthBMore.com if the marketplace at McHenry Row is a success, they will look to franchise it around the Baltimore area.
Yes Chef! now has 17 employees.
Photos below courtesy of Yes Chef
Chef Clint Roze
Jodi Roze
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.
