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Business & Tech

The Crow's Nest is Latest Maplewood Restaurant

The Bleeding Deacon's Mike McLaughlin will open a new eatery in the former Red Lion space.

When , patrons growled and local restaurateurs went on the hunt. The space was in a great location, in a great town and already set up for a restaurant. Mike McLaughlin, owner of the popular South City joint, The Bleeding Deacon, got there first.

“I've always liked Maplewood,” McLaughlin said. “I have a good broker who brought it to me immediately. There was a line behind me. We were lucky.”

If McLaughlin felt lucky to have landed the space, he feels even luckier today. The building requires no major renovations, and thanks to Maplewood's streamlined process for small businesses, he's planning on an early October opening. The way that the City of Maplewood has rolled out the red carpet has impressed him.

“From our perspective coming from the city, it's like night and day,” McLaughlin said. “The people in are helping with all these things. They're going out of their way to help us succeed. There's good loans for small businesses and the landlord has been very helpful. The is great. It's a welcomed transition for us.”

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McLaughlin describes The Crow's Nest as the “Big Brother” to The Deacon, and he's hoping to duplicate its success. Opened in 2008, The Deacon quickly became popular, noted for its funky, slightly punky atmosphere, elevated American home-style cooking with a definitive twist, and its odd selection of beers featuring everything from Pabst Blue Ribbon to the finest microbrews.

“The menu will reference The Deacon, but we'll focus on local and different kinds of ingredients, things we couldn't use at The Deacon because of cost considerations,” McLaughlin said. “The Crow's Nest will have a slightly higher price point at around $10 to $15.”

To create the menu, McLaughlin has once again teamed up with chef Jimmy Hippchen. “He was my second chef over at The Deacon and left to work at a bunch of places just to get some different experiences. With me and him together, things get done.”

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Aside from the menu, McLaughlin's major focus right now is getting the new décor right.

“The décor is something we're working on,” McLaughlin said. “It has to be a happy accident. The problem is trying to find things that fit the space—the right things to make it feel authentic. Anyone can put up a Jameson's sign. Keeping it organic is the challenge.”

McLaughlin knows the importance of the overall experience, including a great staff which he credits for the great press The Deacon has gotten and made it something of a media darling, though McLaughlin laughs at the notion of being a media darling.

“Well, I don't know about that,” McLaughlin said. “The guys in the kitchen have kept the focus on us, and the staff kept it in the forefront. We're humbled and happy that people have written about us.”

While there will be some differences separating The Crow's Nest from The Bleeding Deacon, McLaughlin will attempt to create an equally memorable and unique atmosphere, and will draw heavily from The Deacon.

“The Crow's Nest will be in the same vein,” McLaughlin said. “We're not going to deviate too much. It's a great opportunity, and me and Jimmy are very excited. It's really cool.”

The Crow's Nest will be located in the former digs of , at 7336 Manchester Road. It is scheduled to open in early October.

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