Town officials on Monday approved a request from the owner of Silvermine Market to locate a new walk-in refrigerator permanently outside his 1895 building, freeing up more kitchen space inside for a soon-to-expand menu.
The new walk-in out back of Silvermine Market. The ZBA on Monday granted a variance to allow it to be located here permanently, and an enclosure is planned. Credit: Michael Dinan
Noting the narrow lot at 1032 Silvermine Road and saying that the market has coexisted with the Silvermine Arts Guild next-door for many decades, the Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 in favor of granting a variance (which was needed because the walk-in unit is located within a side yard setback).
The market’s owner for nearly 10 years, Lou Aloupis, said that following an approximately $25,000 interior renovation, the kitchen has a new hood, grill and pizza oven. He and Chef Scott Kaluczky are perfecting their homemade Neapolitan pizza-making process now and plan to offer it on their menu after Labor Day, and also will add freshly grilled burgers and hot dogs after September, Aloupis said.
Silvermine Market owner Lou Aloupis hustling behind the register on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 4, 2015. Credit: Michael Dinan
Silvermine Market customers “are all excited,” he said Tuesday afternoon during the lunch rush. “So many customers want to sample [the pizza] and be part of the process.”
The pizza and grilled food will bolster offerings that long have included breakfast, as well as a wide lunchtime selection of sandwiches, wraps and salads, and full dinner menu.
In a letter that accompanied his application for a variance, Aloupis said the new kitchen equipment is more energy-efficient, meets updated fire code requirements and that the new walk-in replaces an outdated 37-year-old predecessor.
Looking inside Silvermine Market on Aug. 4, 2015. Credit: Michael Dinan
By moving the walk-in outside, the kitchen gains about 200 square feet of additional space—a plus that immediately helps the Silvermine Market expand its business, he said.
The variance will help the market “meet the growing demands to provide more offerings efficiently to the Silvermine Art Guild students and members as well as employees of the Silver Hill Hospital, the local residents of the Silvermine community and all of the service providers (landscapers, painters, tree folks, carpenters and even local real estate agents whom we cater lunch for). Our goal is to continue to be a part of this wonderful community and all of this is what makes it not common to the other properties in our neighborhood.”
Silvermine Market on Aug. 4, 2015. Credit: Michael Dinan
At Monday’s hearing, ZBA members asked who uses the parking spaces out back of the market, adjacent to where the walk-in is located (customers), whether the market also owns the structure at 1032 directly to the north of the building (no that’s the guild’s administrative office), and whether Aloupis intends to enclose the walk-in (yes, and in the same style as the market).
Silvermine neighborhood resident Patricia Wilson, speaking in favor of granting the variance, told the ZBA that after nine years, she has found the market to be a “great neighbor” and that it’s “a really important part of the Silvermine community.”