The restaurant and shops will replace this building, which will be demolished.

Leonardtown, MD — A small chain of barbecue restaurants has chosen Leonardtown as its next location. Urban Bar-B-Que will be locating in a new commercial building on Route 5 across from the new Clark’s Run development. Urban Bar-B-Que has eight locations in Maryland and Virginia, with Bowie being the closest to the Tri-County area.

The restaurant, along with two other shops, will be housed in a new 7,776 square-foot building that will replace the current building occupied by Waring-Ahearn Insurance and Fast Stop Tag and Title. That building will be demolished.

The site is being developed by W.M. Davis, Inc. The new building is adjacent to a site that had been planned for a number of years as a mixed use commercial/office complex with a hotel. Company owner Wayne Davis told the Leonardtown Planning and Zoning Commission at their April 27 meeting that he is shelving those plans, and instead will be bringing forward a new plan for rental garden apartments on the site.

That property includes the long vacant former Pennies Bar, which Davis said he expected to demolish sometime this summer. The site for the new apartment project is directly across the street from an entrance to Clark’s Run that is planned for a traffic light.

The new commercial building will have a access connection to the new apartment site. The building that sits between the two will remain for the time being, according to Davis.

According to Urban Bar-B-Que’s website http://www.urbanbbqco.com/, the company was founded in 2003 by David Calkins, formerly at J. Paul’s in Georgetown and Lee Howard, who was managing nearby Old Glory barbecue restaurant.

Urban Bar-B-Que locations are largely carry-out, with a few sit-down stools. The menu includes sandwiches, bar-b-que and sample plates, wings, salads and chili bowls. Davis said it was hoped the restaurant would be open by the end of the year.

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the concept plan for the new building. Davis will now submit a site plan, including a rendering of the building, for commission approval.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com