Page 27 - Baltimore County 2023 Quality of Life Guide & Business Directory

‘WE'RE NOT
GOING ANYWHERE’
ALEX SMITH,
Founder and President, Atlas Restaurant Group
With more than 30 restaurant properties — some as far afield as Florida and Texas — the fast- growing Atlas Restaurant Group has certainly made its mark on the national dining scene. But its
roots are in the Baltimore area, where co-founders and brothers Alex and Eric Smith grew up. In recent years, after transforming the Baltimore City waterfront with its restaurants, Atlas has been making moves into Baltimore County as well. Here, Alex Smith talks about the county’s appeal on both a personal and business level.
Atlas recently expanded into the county with properties like Perennial, The Valley Inn and The Oregon Grille. What drew you to those locations?
They are really local landmarks, not just restaurant locations. The Valley Inn, when we bought it, was 100 years old, and the building was even older. The Oregon Grille is several hundred years old. We figured it was a great opportunity to rehab some historic properties, and it fit into our strategic vision.
Talk about that strategic vision. What does it look like?
Baltimore County is a significant part of our customer base. Most of our clientele is coming from Baltimore County and the other surrounding counties into the city to experience our restaurants, so we thought we should be a little closer to home for people.
You have a triangle where Oregon Grille is to the west of I-83 — 30 minutes from Harbor East, but right in the heart of Baltimore County — and then The Valley Inn is about halfway into the city, and to
the east you have Towson, where Perennial is located. That triangle covers a large portion of the county.
In general, what makes Baltimore County a
good place for a hospitality business like Atlas?
I think people want to enjoy themselves with concepts that are authentic. Places like The Valley Inn or The Oregon Grille or Perennial are just so different — they’re real, historic spaces to dine in.
In Baltimore County, you’re talking about a place that is safe,
with great schools and good leadership. It’s got so many things going for it. What we love about Baltimore County is that you have these really dense areas like York Road and Towson, and then you have these really green areas that are untouched and incredibly beautiful and historic. I grew up in those areas, so they have a special place in my heart.
What are some ways that Atlas supports the
growth of the local community and its people?
We give back a ton to the local community, whether it’s monetarily or through community service. Our company is deeply entrenched in the area. We do everything from organizing a couple of hundred employees to pick up trash in the city to providing food to soup kitchens every other week to supporting things like the Ronald McDonald House and cystic fibrosis events.
So you don’t see Atlas moving away from the
greater Baltimore area anytime soon?
No, we’re not going anywhere. The real estate that we’ve bought
and the businesses we’ve launched — we look at it as a generational investment. My brother and I hope that our kids get involved in the business and we want to hand it down to them. Atlas isn’t something we’re building up to sell. Baltimore is where our roots are.
THE OREGON GRILLE
www.baltcountychamber.com 25