Two St. Elmo Restaurants Face Uncertain Future with New Development

Pizza Pass and Chef Tony's may be bumped out by a new high-rise apartment building.

August 12, 2014 10:42 a.m.

A 16-story apartment building being planned by The Lenkin Company for a location between St. Elmo and Fairmont avenues could result in the closure of two restaurants.

A parking lot and a low-rise office building currently sit on the site of the planned structure, but two adjoining buildings that are expected to be included in the plans are home to Chef Tony’s and Pizza Pass.

The two restaurants are located side by side on St. Elmo Avenue in buildings that are owned by Lenkin.

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“It’s been pretty obvious for some time that that’s what they’re going for,” said Tony Marciante, the chef and owner of Chef Tony’s, referring to the multistory project. “It kind of sucks. We’ve gone from this quirky little town to this metropolis.”

Marciante, who grew up in Bethesda, opened the restaurant in 2007 at 4926 St. Elmo Ave. He worries that as the area becomes more developed, it may price out the smaller, locally-owned restaurants. He said the project has put his business in a quandary: He wants to invest in the future, but isn’t sure how long he’ll be operating at the location.

“We hope [the project] is going to take at least two years to get started,” Marciante said. “I’m keeping one eye focused forward and one to the side.”

John Foster, who owns Pizza Pass, said The Lenkin Company told him about its plans to develop the property, but the company also said it would honor the restaurant’s lease. Foster said three years remain on the lease at 4924 St. Elmo Ave.

“We had a plan,” Foster said. “It’s not a shock to us at all.”

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That plan, he said, is to open three more restaurants in the area in the next five years.

“We definitely want a second location up before they even consider taking this one down,” Foster said.

Last week, a land use attorney for the project said The Lenkin Company is planning to build a 16-story, 200-unit apartment building on the site. However, he said the community meeting scheduled for later this month is just the beginning of the approval process, which can take years before construction begins.


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