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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. John Flamos



Moments ago the final documents were signed and the Flamos Family are now the new owners of 300 W. Main Street.

This is very exciting news for those who are excited about the revitalization of Downtown Salisbury.

Coming Soon, a new Wine Bar / Restaurant. It's been their dream to create a unique environment unlike anything Salisbury has ever seen and I'm personally very excited for them. 

Construction will start in the very near future and within a few months you should see a whole new environment on that corner.

I'd like to thank Joey Gilkerson for doing an incredible job listing and selling the property. This young man truly has his act together and it was a pleasure doing business with him. 

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck to 'em!!!

Anonymous said...

Out with the old in with the new!

Anonymous said...

if they have italian wine, true italian wine, I will try them out... It is it italian wine made in sonoma Valley in california, its good but not true italian wine... it is italian grapes not the same... The soils are different, the water is different, the heat and humidity is different...

Anonymous said...

4:25 I hope you're not male... if you are, I have some bad news...

Anonymous said...

I second on the Italian Wine... I am hoping for a great selection!

Anonymous said...

The building inspector and OSHA will be visiting them tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

What was the sale price, Joe? I've been wondering what that gorgeous property would go for.

Anonymous said...

Place won't last 6 months after opening..... Doesn't matter what goes there.... The downtown will never return.

Anonymous said...

Well now , we shall see how this venture goes.
Most everyone is leaving the hood , yet we have some who buck the odds.
Congratulations to Joe , a whole lotta luck to the new owners!!!!
They gonna need it!!

Anonymous said...

I just hope the cigar aspect of this operation flies.For me personally that's a big deal.I'm not as finicky about the wine as previous commenters.Maybe I lack discerning taste buds.

Anonymous said...

Good for you, but not for them!

Anonymous said...

Nothing against the new owners but they won't make it more than year if they are lucky. The downtown like the shore isn't coming back. It's just a case of way to little..... Long tooo late. I wish them luck though.

Anonymous said...

Hope they get their historic permits!

JoeAlbero said...

I find it incredible those people who offer no congratulations or best wishes.

John and his Wife are wonderful people making a MAJOR investment Downtown.

To top it off, they're selling their home in Delmar and actually moving into the upstairs as their primary residence.

I'll add, they'll be bringing jobs to Downtown as well. The nay sayers on here have NO investment into Downtown.

Anonymous said...

I think it is wonderful!!! Love new places with ombiance and good food!!! Sooo many people in Salisbury think Applebees and Red Lobster are dining experiences!!!

Anonymous said...

This is what the downtown area needs businesses. Good luck, hope you flourish and other businesses follow suite.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to go!

Anonymous said...

Anon826 - but Applebee's and Red Lobster will get more traffic and stay in business. Sad but true.

Anonymous said...

I hope they cut down the parking meters for them. Did you know that running the parking booths and operating parking meters actually COSTS the City money? The cash intake doesn't equal the cost of 4 employees to run the program!

It's in the 2014 City Budget posted on the website.

Talk about committing financial suicide in the name of "Downtown Revitalization".

Can we get a group "DUH"?

Anonymous said...

Congratulations and lots of luck in your new business venture.

Anonymous said...

What downtown? Hasn't been a real downtown in decades. There isn't going to be a revitalization. It's called the TRUTH like it or not. I'm sure these are well meaning folks but that's not the point. Ten years from now nothing will have changed in Salisbury or the shore. You can't come back from decline without people, progress, jobs, and money. The shore has none of the above. I'm sorry the picture isn't pretty but it's game over for the shore. Way too late to turn it around.

Anonymous said...

Wishing them much success! It's a beautiful building. If they preserve that beauty and do a wine bar worthy of it, it will have a following.

Good luck to them!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

To the new owners good luck I know my family will give it a try. If it is good we will be regulars. Oh I forgot welcome to the shore. You need chicken nuggets and entres on the menu that are only four letters or less as you can tell by most of the post. lol

They think Chef Boradee is the finest of Eyetaliaan quizno. Only in smallsbury lol

Anonymous said...

10:02

You know people said the same thing about places NYC in the 80s. Now its a tourist destination. You can throw smaller towns like Aiken, SC and New Bern, NC on that list too.

The problem is not the shore, the problem is people like YOU.

I wish these excellent people the best of luck on their investment in downtown! And great job Joe in finding excellent buyers!

Anonymous said...

I walked downtown today and it is beautiful. It seems to be coming back to life because of people like the ones that bought the building. Glad people still will make an investment and bring a business that I think will succeed and help bring more people downtown. I don't think joe would sell it to someone that he thought would fail. He does have a reputation and he has had a big part in the buildings history. I think both parties made a very good decision.

Anonymous said...

It is great that there are optimistic people willing to roll the dice with a new business venture in Salisbury. If they can can draw the come here crowd and the 1% of from heres that have money to dine and drink out on the town, they have a chance. Unfortunately there are not many oenophiles in the area and far fewer people that even are willing to pay for that chance to sample wines that are not served from a box. It will be nice to have an establishment in the area that is not catering to the college/hip hop crowd. Best of luck.

Anonymous said...

It's not about not wishing them well Joe. I think we all do. Personally I feel that it is a horrible business investment. Salisbury is a ghetto. It's that plain and simple. The population of "the bury" can only support so much wine and crumpets. They can only hope to maybe pull some business from already struggling operations. (Market Street, Sobo's, or the Cellar Door.) The numbers just are not there. Sadly I am an invested "bury" homeowner and taxpayer. I feel my interest would be better served downtown with a fleet of bulldozers and an exterminator. You can put as much lipstick on the pig as you want. Congrats on your escape Joe.

Anonymous said...

10:26....comparing downtown Salisbury to NYC is amusing. The small towns that do survive don't have bypasses thru them. Salisbury doesn't have a single real tourist attraction. You people don't get it.... People and progress equal jobs. The shore failed to bring well paying jobs and now sits like a shell. Wake up folks.

Anonymous said...

So happy I just moved out of Salisbury!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to the new owners and hope your business does very well. Best of Luck

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Joey Gilkerson a big supporter of the Day/Ireton campaigns? And then he got the sweet deal on the firehouse...hmmm...

Anonymous said...

Congrats to the new owners!

Joe, did you follow the city's lead, and sell at a 90% loss?

Anonymous said...

I wish them well. The building is perfect for their idea. The only problem I foresee is the lack young professionals living within walking distance.
I've lived the life. Young moneyed professionals won't drink and drive. They aren't willing to risk their careers nor reputation over a DWI arrest. These establishments work in areas like Alexandria VA, the Tribeca area of Manhattan and even Wilmington DE but not so sure about Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

Joey Gilkerson had Albero and Day signs in his establishment downtown.

I dont think the problem is the shore. I think it is YOU. The people who have not been downtown in years and will not go back. Those that are blind to change in both directions. But no one is waiting for them to change either, so it is all good!

Good luck to the new owners! Beautiful building!

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to you!!! Can't wait to come visit!!!

Anonymous said...

Best wished to the new owners!! Can't wait to visit!

Anonymous said...

7:09 you are wrong. Most small town have by passes by them. I suggest you take a trip to leesburg va. Berlin is off of 50, not a bypass but you have to get off a major road to get there. Neither of these 2 examples have stuff to draw tourist. Salisbury has a mall, a zoo, movie theater, base ball stadium, university, beautiful downtown, a park to take the family, trails to go for a walk, rivers to go fishing,plenty of nice hotels and resturaunts and I could keep going on. I just don't see all the negative everyone talks about. All towns have problems but we have a bunch going for us. I don't live here anymore because of my job but I come back as often as I can.

Anonymous said...

I personally know the Flames family very well and they do indeed have the personality it will take to create regulars. People in Salisbury drive hours away to drink in places like this and I have no doubt it will draw crowds, in fact it may even bring in competition!!! Either way, you(person/people who obviously want this to fail) have made your point and can stop with your negative feedback now.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see a local building owner who will be looking after his investment every day replace Joe doing the same. We have too many out of towners waiting for the tax payer to figure out how to make their property more valuable for their own personal gain. Until there is a critical mass of local owners actively investing and improving downtown will remain a dump.

Anonymous said...

In conjunction with this venture,the Downtown Plaza would be an excellent venue for a Lebowski Fest.I go to all of them and they are always packed.They are 2 day events that originated after the movie "The Big Lebowski"came out.People can dress in character if they wish or come as they are.Planning should consist of going to at least one Lebowski Fest & getting a feel for what it's all about.An event such as this would garner national attention to Salisbury and would bolster businesses on the plaza.

Anonymous said...

10:26 Aiken is not comparable to Sby either. Aiken is horse farm/show country. At any given horse show in Aiken you have many many people present whose horse is worth more than the majority of the residents of Sby/Wic total net worth. The area in of itself is equestrian oriented.

Anonymous said...

You just have to love this building.

Anonymous said...

Joe:

U made a big mistake by selling. Yes, the Downtown Plaza has suffered and stagnated under Barrie and Jimbo, but Jake Day will turn it around when he becomes the new mayor next year.

Anonymous said...

1:09-Nothing of any substance is going to happen until the whole demographics of Salisbury and the surrounding area is turned around. What it all boils down to are good paying jobs-Period! End of Story!
You gotta get the money flowing and that starts with jobs. When you have the jobs, the rest is easy.

Anonymous said...

To many homeless, not enough businesses that sell a product and crime is still an issue in Salisbury.plus parking is an issue.

Anonymous said...

Great to see another business willing to come downtown. Congrats.

Anonymous said...

I, for one, will frequent this business. Can't wait until they open.

Anonymous said...

I got a parking ticket Friday. The meter had just run out when I came out, but it was too late. Think I'm done with downtown.