TOWSON, Md. — Restauranteur Craig Rinkerman decided to expand his Gourmet brand from its original location in Catonsville to the Kenilworth Shops in Towson.
Then the pandemic hit.
“We were under construction in 2020 and 2021,” he says. “We had a slow start getting open, but we got open.”
Despite the fresh digs, it’s been uphill for the gourmet seafood restaurant ever since.
“It’s been a little slow in the beginning,” Craig says. “But we have a great guest base that’s been following us and supporting us. And as we go through the tough economic times here, I feel that we’ve made a good footprint and we’re able to continue to grow and serve the community.”
One of the ways The Gourmet is involved in the community is through the 13th annual Taste of Towson. They’ll be joining more than 20 restaurants serving up their best fare.
This is the third year The Gourmet’s been involved. They’ll be serving grilled shrimp cocktails and their popular appetizer, seared ahi nachos.
“The Taste of Towson is a good way for us to showcase some of the items that we serve on our menu,” Craig says. “It’s a good way for us to get additional exposure other than just relying on social media to get people out.”
Craig says he’s gained repeat customers who first heard about his restaurant at Taste of Towson.
He also likes the fact that the event allows him to give back even more, since it’s a fundraiser for community programming.
“As a business owner, it’s always important to have a strong backbone of community-based support,” he says. “Towson is an area that’s been growing and there’s a lot of great family access and schools. And we felt like, that this would be the place.”
Taste of Towson is this Wednesday evening at the American Legion on York Road. It’s all-you-can-eat and open bar.
Tickets are $60. Go here to purchase them or call 410-825-1144.
