Market Street Bistros

09/30/2022

Market Street Bistros was a dream we had 4-5 years ago. We did not receive the funding needed to implement it so this page - and the evocative drawing of what could have been - remains as a legacy to a dream. One must dream always despite outcomes of any particular effort!

03/25/2017

People continue to look at this page every day. It is a wonderful dream but is not happening anytime soon. Fortunately, some of the existing tenants, from the Hall of Fame Cafe on down the block, are doing so well that we already have a vibrant street of businesses. But I still yearn for Indian, Caribbean and other exotic bistros (even bagels and gelato!) to come to Wheeling!

09/16/2015

The winners for the Chase Bank competition for small businesses were announced today. I am sorry to report that our idea for Market Street Bistros was not selected. We thank everyone who voted for us in the spring, which allowed our bid to be considered, and helped us develop ideas for the concept. We still want to help bring new ethnic eateries to Wheeling, but without the $100,000 prize money from Chase it will take us longer! We will welcome your ideas and suggestions. This FB page will carry news as we go further with the Bistro idea!

06/03/2015

Dear Friends: If you have liked this page but not VOTED, please click below and VOTE on the Chase Bank page so we can get more votes to support the Market Street Bistros project!

Vote for Crest Investments, LLC at https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/b/24505 - Chase's Mission Main Street Grants program for Small Business is in full swing! Apply or vote today! Learn more here: www.missionmainstreetgrants.com

05/31/2015

Thanks to Steve Novotney for today's Weelunk story about our concept for the Market Street Bistros row of restaurants. We are excited by the great reception to the idea and follow closely the interest in different ethnic food types - we hope many can be realized. In fact, one restaurateur has already approached us!

Blame the painting. It’s not an excuse, but when Chuck Wood and his family first saw a painting by Janet Hart of what they had been dreaming of for their Hasenauer Building at 1900 Market St., their excitement took over. The “Market Street Bistro” concept was born, and it was announced without fully…

05/29/2015

Now that more than 250 of you have voted for Market Street Bistros we are officially qualified to have our proposal considered for the Chase $100,000 grant competition. Chase will announce in September if we will win an award, but without waiting we are moving on to the next stage of development - exploring how the building can be modified to host restaurants. To remind you 383 "likers" of this concept what our vision is, I repost from May 24 the initial description of the project:

Market Street Bistros

Downtown Wheeling is undergoing a revitalization spurred by the return home of numerous 30 and 40 years olds who tired of the hectic pace and anonymous lives in the large cities they had moved to. These young people are purchasing and renovating old homes in the heart of the city, starting new businesses, beginning families, and adding energy to the political, cultural and economic landscape.

We hope to develop a restaurant row – Market Street Bistros - within walking distance of these new residents and all the downtown colleges, professional and trade schools, international headquarters of several large firms, County and City government buildings, Federal Courthouse, and OVMC. The approximately 5,000 workers – and the new folks who are finding homes downtown - currently have few lunch and dinner options; our proposed “restaurant incubator” will bring many opportunities for serving this hungry downtown audience.

Our building at 1900-1912 Market Street includes six storefront shops. Building a restaurant row in these spaces will create a vibrant, walkable bridge between Downtown Wheeling and Centre Market Square. Such boutique restaurants would bring unexpected food choices to our small city of 28,000 people and for the entire tri-state area. Restaurants serving Greek, Indian, or Thai foods, as well as a gelato bar, will create a huge buzz.

We will encourage the new restaurants to buy fresh foods from the Grow Ohio Valley orchards, farm and cooperative. Additionally, we will promote entrepreneurship in the starting of new businesses, will provide internships to culinary arts students from the nearby WV Northern Community College, and will work with Chase and other local banks to secure startup loans for the new restaurants.

Our shop spaces are idea for intimate eateries. The clustered row of locally unique restaurants will jointly attract customers, and the rents will be reasonable, making this an excellent venue for start-ups. When a restaurant outgrows our “restaurant incubator” it can move into larger spaces in nearby downtown Wheeling. This strategy makes it easier for novice restaurateurs to launch new businesses, and ideally will infuse a continuing stream of new restaurant experiences into the community.

Market Street Bistros is presently just a concept – the ultimate goal is to profitably create the types of shops and homes needed to make downtown Wheeling a great place to work and live.

05/25/2015

Don't forget to VOTE! Go to www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/vote. Type in 26003 in the search box. Vote for Crest Investment's project: Market Street Bistros! Thanks!

Chase's $2M Mission Main Street Grants program for Small Business is in full swing! Apply or vote today! Learn more here: www.missionmainstreetgrants.com

05/25/2015

Here is a more complete description of our vision. I hope after reading it you will go to the post below to vote for this proposal.

Market Street Bistros

Downtown Wheeling is undergoing a revitalization spurred by the return home of numerous 30 and 40 years olds who tired of the hectic pace and anonymous lives in the large cities they had moved to. These young people are purchasing and renovating old homes in the heart of the city, starting new businesses, beginning families, and adding energy to the political, cultural and economic landscape.

We hope to develop a restaurant row – Market Street Bistros - within walking distance of these new residents and all the downtown colleges, professional and trade schools, international headquarters of several large firms, County and City government buildings, Federal Courthouse, and OVMC. The approximately 5,000 workers – and the new folks who are finding homes downtown - currently have few lunch and dinner options; our proposed “restaurant incubator” will bring many opportunities for serving this hungry downtown audience.

Our building at 1900-1912 Market Street includes six storefront shops. Building a restaurant row in these spaces will create a vibrant, walkable bridge between Downtown Wheeling and Centre Market Square. Such boutique restaurants would bring unexpected food choices to our small city of 28,000 people and for the entire tri-state area. Restaurants serving Greek, Indian, or Thai foods, as well as a gelato bar, will create a huge buzz.

We will encourage the new restaurants to buy fresh foods from the Grow Ohio Valley orchards, farm and cooperative. Additionally, we will promote entrepreneurship in the starting of new businesses, will provide internships to culinary arts students from the nearby WV Northern Community College, and will work with Chase and other local banks to secure startup loans for the new restaurants.

Our shop spaces are idea for intimate eateries. The clustered row of locally unique restaurants will jointly attract customers, and the rents will be reasonable, making this an excellent venue for start-ups. When a restaurant outgrows our “restaurant incubator” it can move into larger spaces in nearby downtown Wheeling. This strategy makes it easier for novice restaurateurs to launch new businesses, and ideally will infuse a continuing stream of new restaurant experiences into the community.

Market Street Bistros is presently just a concept – the ultimate goal is to profitably create the types of shops and homes needed to make downtown Wheeling a great place to work and live.

05/24/2015

When you get to the site to vote for us you will see the "Crest Investments" - our business name. That is the one to vote for!