Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Raising a second Fork (in the city)
David and Ann Trinkle have high hopes that their new downtown Roanoke restaurant will be as popular as its sister spot, Fork in the Alley.
Lindsey Nair
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On the corner of 6th Street and Marshall Avenue in Roanoke stands a small, one-story brick building surrounded by parking lots.
Even in these harsh economic times, I'd be willing to bet my paycheck that many people never noticed that building, even when it was the site of Gary's Bar & Grill.
Well, David and Ann Trinkle, owners of Fork in the Alley in South Roanoke, were doing a little gambling of their own when they chose the old Gary's site for their second restaurant location, Fork in the City.
It's a good hike from the heart of downtown, and at least a couple of blocks beyond the last restaurant that keeps evening hours. For years, its only neighbors were a cavernous abandoned cotton mill and quite a few neglected houses.
But given all the life that has recently bloomed on that fringe of downtown, the Trinkles felt that the dice were hot. After all, the Fork in the Alley location (it literally sits in an alley, wedged between a 7-Eleven and another building) wasn't exactly typical either.
"The great thing about Fork in the Alley is that it's a unique and different location. And we think the Fork in the City location is unique and different and sort of on the edge," said David Trinkle, who is also a Roanoke City Council member.
It was the building's owner, developer Ed Walker, who came up with the idea that Fork could expand to that site, Ann Trinkle said.
The Walkers and Trinkles are friends, so the Trinkles knew that Ed Walker is turning the old cotton mill, which he also owns, into trendy apartments.
With all those folks living across the street, the city's efforts to spruce up nearby Day Avenue, lots of employees in Jefferson Center and traffic in and out of the Kirk Avenue YMCA, the Trinkles could envision a clientele filling in around their little restaurant.
The fact that rent was lower there than on the market was a bonus.
"It is a more affordable location, but it is really cool," David Trinkle said. "The diversity over there is just incredible, and I hope that our restaurant will cater to diverse crowds. All of these things sort of make the project more fun."
Tentative opening set for April
Ann Trinkle, the artistic eye in the marriage, saw a very drab gray building with a run-down interior when she first looked at the old Gary's building.
Adding to the dreary feel was the fact that a fire in a connected apartment in 2005 had killed two occupants.
Photos by Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times
Construction workers finish the job at 6th Street and Marshall Avenue, where Fork in the City is expected to open this spring.
Like its sister, Fork in the City will offer wood-fired pizzas.
The building "was the color of a gray sky," she said.
Watching construction workers transform that tired building for a tentative opening date in April has been pretty inspiring.
The outside has been painted a rich, chocolate brown with accents of orange and blue. Ann Trinkle thought the new color would be warm and inviting.
Under six layers of "icky linoleum," workers found gorgeous, original heart-of-pine flooring inside the building. Ann Trinkle and a friend faux-painted the tin tile ceiling, and the Trinkle kids -- Clay, 16; Ella, 14; and little sis Owen, 9 -- scavenged stones for a new stone oven, where Fork's signature wood-fired pizzas will be baked.
Also new are a small front patio, which will hold a handful of tables for outside dining, and a large patio out back where the Trinkles hope to have live music during warm months.
There's also a stage inside for musical performances.
"With the music and those type of things, we are really trying to dovetail with what the Jefferson Center is doing," David Trinkle said. "We will be offering discounts to people who go to the Jefferson Center."
But even though he jokes that the new space is getting "citified," Trinkle and his wife want to maintain the cozy, casual feel that has made Fork in the Alley such a popular neighborhood hangout.
The menu will be expanded with some new dishes, including a few healthy options, but Ann Trinkle promises the hot dogs and pizzas will still be available and prices won't be jacked up.
One of the most exciting aspects of the new location, she said, is that it's much larger than its sister restaurant.
"We love our little Fork in the Alley," Ann Trinkle said, "but the great thing about this is that it's got a big kitchen. It gives our people who work there a little bit more elbow room."
That's a plus when it comes time to toss that pizza dough.
Do you think the Trinkles picked a smart location for their new eatery? Chime in on the Fridge Magnet blog.
