Business booming on the Blvd: Business owners planting roots in Salisbury

SALISBURY, Md. – On busy Salisbury Boulevard, you have a bunch of different options for good eats.

But Priyank Patel, owner of Twist Indian Grill, wanted to stand out from the rest.

“I’m bringing something different to this community, like a mix of Indian and Mexican fusion, so I hope people will like it,” said Patel.

The new Salisbury business owner is in the final stages of opening up his restaurant. He said he scored big on the location, which sits right across the street from Salisbury University.

“All kinds of restaurants are around here, so I always wanted to be in this spot, and luckily, I got this spot,” said Patel.

And right next door, PJ’s Coffee is also getting acclimated to the area. Co-owner, Robert Beckey said he wanted to bring in a spot geared towards Salisbury’s ever-evolving demographics.

“It’s a grind. People don’t necessarily want to try new things, not always, and they have to come 2 or 3 times before they make it home. It isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon,” said Beckey.

President of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, Bill Chambers said it’s not just about feeding the hungry crowd, that’s only half of the job.

“People are going to be very much more judicious in how they spend their discretionary money on restaurants and tourist attractions and travel,” said Chambers.

“They’re going to be looking for value; I think they’re going to be looking to stay closer to home, and when it comes to the food and beverage industry, you’re going to have to be different,” Chambers added.

And Sufang Lin’s spot, Smoking Monster, is definitely different. Her brand-new Korean BBQ restaurant is a first of its kind in the city, and Lin decided to not only bring in human staff, but robots, too.

She said she’s looking forward to serving the growing community.

“I just want to be here to tell people that I’m excited to see the community growing, with different cultures, and I’m proud of myself to be able to provide as much job opportunities to all the students,” said Lin.