WHITE MARSH, Md. — Back in November The Avenue at White Marsh announced a high-profile tenant: Silver Diner, would be opening its first Baltimore County location in shopping center. Just yesterday The Avenue at White Marsh released a concept video of their plans.
Silver Diner will be taking over the corner formerly occupied by Barnes & Noble. The longtime bookstore is moving over to a smaller space next door.
Silver Diner will have a prominent, 8,125-square-foot space that includes 36 outdoor seats. It is set to open in 2024, the restaurant announced. The design at the Avenue will be similar to one opening at the National Harbor, in Prince George's County, in spring 2023.
This will be Silver Diner's 23rd location. The chain is known for a menu ranging from "diner classics to vegan, plant-based, gluten-free and low calorie" food, under the guidance of executive chef and co-founder Ype Von Hengst. Von Hengst has won on "Chopped" and other TV food competitions.
This also technically marks the restaurant's return to Baltimore County. Von Hengst noted Silver Diner used to be at Towson Town Center, almost 20 years ago, next to Nordstrom Rack.
"We didn't have enough parking over there, so we ended up after a few years closing it," he explained.
Von Hengst said the restaurant is growing in circles around the Beltway. "After White Marsh, as you can see, we're getting closer and closer to Delaware, so maybe the next extension is to go into Delaware."
Silver Diner has multiple locations mostly in the DC area, as well as some in other parts of Virginia and New Jersey. It also has a location in Columbia, Frederick and at BWI Airport.
"We're excited to come into White Marsh," Von Hengst said. "Now that this beautiful location came available, it's going to be a beautiful anchor at the corner; we're going to be able to do an outdoor cafe."
Silver Diner is also evolving into having a more modern design and menu - taking its jukeboxes off the tables, and offering farm-to-table, local food, he said.
"But we always want to make sure that we keep the balance... If you get meatloaf at Silver Diner, it's made with Creekstone beef, which, first of all, is halal, it's all black angus, we can trace the DNA of the animals. So it's all higher quality than if you get meatloaf in most places," Von Hengst explained.
"We always keep modernizing ourselves. But if you want meatloaf, if you want pancakes, those are always the most popular items on the menu. But again, when I have the pancakes, I make them from flour that is not stripped from all the nutrients - everything a little bit better and everything a higher quality."
Kari Glinski, vice-president of asset management with Federal Realty, said in a statement:
“We are delighted to have Silver Diner at The Avenue. They will be a great partner to round out our tenant portfolio at the property.”
Barnes & Noble on The Avenue, meanwhile, has been closed since September and is set to reopen in its remodeled space in spring 2023.
Barnes & Noble also recently downsized in its Pikesville location, moving out of the freestanding building it has been in for 19 years.
