110 W. New York Ave., DeLand, FL
386-734-4622
PHOTO COURTESY MAINSTREET
New Business on the Boulevard — Ground Chuck, a quick-casual restaurant opens May 25.
PHOTO COURTESY MAINSTREET
Inside — City Commissioner and Downtown restaurant owner Phil Martin will open Ground Chuck May 25.
BEACON FILE PHOTO
Phil Martin
PHOTO COURTESY MAINSTREET
Dick and Jane's — Former City Commissioner and Downtown proprietor Scott Price will open Dick and Jane's Memorial Day Weekend.
PHOTO COURTESY MAINSTREET
Stacy Jane's — Stacy Jane's gift shop will coexist with Dick and Jane coffee and wine bar.
BEACON FILE PHOTO
Scott Price
By Jen Horton
posted May 22, 2009 - 10:39:50am
Phil Martin and Scott Price went head-to-head in the 2007 DeLand City Commission election.
But, the former opponents have something in common this week: Both are opening businesses in DeLand.
Ground Chuck’s
City Commissioner Phil Martin said while the economy is a dark cloud, entrepreneurs often look for these periods as opportunities.
Not only was he able to secure a lease for a very low cost, he was able to select the top 5 percent of all applicants to work at his new restaurant, Ground Chuck’s, at 900 N. Woodland Blvd.
The new restaurant will create 31 jobs.
“We had 600 or 700 applicants and we didn’t have any ads,” Martin said. “In 2005, I couldn’t hire a waitress.”
Martin and his wife, Chantell, intend for Ground Chuck’s to be a quick-casual experience.
“I want to have the best hamburger in Volusia County,” Martin said.
Chantell Martin said the burger meat will be specially prepared.
“It’s the best ground beef,” she said. “It’s Sterling Silver beef. There are only two places in the country who have these types of beef.”
Orders will be placed and the food will be cooked at the front counter. Patrons can then top their burgers at a toppings bar, and either dine in, or take out. The buns will be baked fresh each morning.
“Who does that?” Phil Martin asked. “Nobody does that.”
Ground Chuck’s will also offer hand-battered chicken strips, hot dogs and salads, but the menu won’t be cluttered.
“I want to do something simple, and I want to do it the best,” Martin said.
The Martins also own the Downtown casual-dining restaurant Mainstreet Grill at 100 E. New York Ave.
Ground Chuck’s will open Monday, May 25.
Dick and Jane’s
Former City Commissioner Scott Price has long been a promoter of the city’s central business corridor.
“I’ve always had pretty good faith in Downtown DeLand,” Price said.
His faith is strong enough that he is expanding his wife’s business and combining it with a new coffee-and-wine bar called Dick and Jane’s.
Stacey Jane’s has been at 104 W. Rich Ave. The new location for Dick and Jane’s is 146 N. Woodland Blvd., fronting on Downtown DeLand’s main street. Price and his wife, Maria, own the historic two-story building.
Downtown already boasts wine bars and coffee shops. Price said he’s not trying to edge in, but find a new niche.
“I’m trying to make a product that kind of straddles the markets,” he said.
Dick and Jane’s, at 146 N. Woodland Blvd., will offer “a serious approach” to coffee, he said.
“In the wine aspect, I’m looking for a more ethnic approach: Spanish, Italian, South American and Greek,” Price said.
Getting serious about coffee means he has sought out a roaster who is, according to Price, a coffee-bean expert.
Dick and Jane’s will be about 40 percent gift shop, and the brand-name Stacey Jane’s will still be there.
Price said Dick and Jane’s will have Wi-Fi and television available, and may expand into some food in the future. For now, he’s keeping it high-quality, low-key and simple.
“I want to develop this slowly,” Price said.
The grand opening will be over Memorial Day weekend.
DeLand: a good place to invest
Price and Martin are both stepping out while the country is in a dark financial time. They both said it is because the timing is right, and they have faith in the town.
“I have an investment in Downtown,” Price said. “I believe in this town.”
“I’m very passionate about DeLand,” Martin said. “It’s more than just dollar signs; I’m trying to lead by example.”
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Editorial comment: Aren't City Commissioners, 'politicos', etc. supposed to be doing city government business as their day job - as opposed to working the grill line at a burger bar?
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