BERLIN – A popular Ocean Pines eatery has plans to add a second location in downtown Berlin.
Bob and Kelli Beck, operators of DeNovo’s in Ocean Pines, are working on opening Pop’s Kitchen by DeNovo’s on Gay Street in Berlin. There’s no timeline for the project yet but the couple received approval for the restaurant’s signage from the Berlin Historic District Commission this week.
“We’ve been wanting to come to Berlin for years,” Bob Beck said.
Beck told the commission Pop’s Kitchen would be located in the new building at 15 Gay St. and would be a quick-serve restaurant. There will be limited seating and the majority of the business is expected to be take-out. Pop’s Kitchen will offer pizza, cheesesteaks, salads, and soups—what Beck refers to as staples. His wife said they thought the town needed a pizza place.
“We saw a need for pizza, carryout,” she said. “Every Main Street town has a pizza place.”
Commission members said they were eager to see the restaurant come to Berlin.
“I’m very excited you’re coming,” commission member Mary Moore said. “It’s a nice niche because there isn’t something that fills that void.”
In other Berlin business news, Toy Town will be opening a second location in Berlin. The store, which was originally started in Berlin by Richard and Debbie Seaton, moved to Snow Hill’s old opera house in 2016. The Town of Snow Hill closed the business last week, however, citing its lack of a certificate of occupancy. A District Court date is set for April 5.
“When I heard what was happening with the Seatons I called and talked with them about coming back to Berlin,” said Ivy Wells, Berlin’s economic and community development director. “They drove up that night. I knew time was an issue and worked with them over the last week to ensure a smooth process.”
Toy Town is expected to open at 8 Pitts St., which was previously occupied by Walt’s Train Shop, later this month.
“It’s to put me back in business,” Richard Seaton said.
His wife agreed.
“We still want to see if we can work things out with the town (of Snow Hill) but we can’t just sit around and wait,” she said. “We have to make money.”
Wells said the Berlin community was thrilled to have the business back in town.
“I’m very happy it worked out and the entire town is excited to welcome them back,” she said.
