Cleveland Jewish News, Published March 5, 2004
Margie Herwald

The dark stained wood bar, striped with bright blue accent molding, is in place next to the nearly complete kitchen.

A peach-tinted ecru tile is being laid on the floor inside, while contractors hoist 1500 lb. slabs to build an overhang outside. There's still electrical work, painting and fixtures to install, but after a difficult journey, Boulevard Blue, a restaurant and jazz club on Larchmere, is finally starting to take shape.

"It's nice seeing it come to life," says owner and manager Andy Himmel, glancing about his future dining room. "I've been seeing it on paper for a year-and-a-half!"

Boulevard Blue, scheduled to open March 12, is the first entrepreneurial endeavor for Himmel, 24. Originally, it was scheduled to open in summer 2003, but then everything collapsed ... literally.

With Boulevard Blue nearly finished and on pace to open June 2, 2003, Himmel woke one morning to "calls from everyone." He rushed down to Larchmere to find the building had caved in and the city had to demolish it in an hour for safety reasons.

"It had been a year of work, and it was gone. It was horrible," he recalls, shaking his head.

Himmel's landlord was determined to rebuild the structure and hoped Himmel would try to pull the restaurant back together.

"The architect just ran with a similar plan," Himmel says. "Nothing changed on the inside. Now, we also have a patio out front for outdoor dining in the summer."

The newly rebuilt Boulevard Blue seats around 90, with 14 spots at the bar. A full staff has been hired and is on standby for the long-awaited opening.

Himmel's father, Marty, had owned a restaurant, the Boarding House, for 25 years and was a perfect source for advice. The idea of starting a new business in a field his family already knew was appealing to the young entrepreneur. "An interesting opportunity came my way. I thought I'd go with it."

The first step: writing a comprehensive business plan over six months, led Himmel to interview other restaurateurs, research menus, and estimate costs and figures. "I knew I needed a well-done plan to be taken seriously," he says.

After securing financing from banks and developing an architectural design, Himmel formed a partnership with his executive chef Scott Wuennemann, who used to work for Cameron Mitchell in Columbus. When the original building collapsed, Wuennemann and Himmel took advantage of the rebuilding to spend four months on Put-in-Bay managing a startup restaurant. The two gained a lot of practical experience and honed their working relationship.

"It was like a dry run-through," says Himmel, who learned the daily procedures of inventory, ordering, customer service, employee relations, and marketing. "It turned out to be a huge challenge attracting customers ... even on an island."

Himmel envisioned his own restaurant as "inviting yet still contemporary; upscale casual without being pretentious."

A slightly raised stage sits against the back wall of the dining room. During peak hours, there will be tables on the stage for diners, Himmel explains. But, as the night goes on, those tables come down to make way for live music, mostly jazz and blues bands.

The Beachwood native admits he never used to go to the Larchmere area, known for its galleries, boutiques, antique shops and restaurants. As an adult returnee to Cleveland, he has made a point of exploring the city proper and even lives downtown in the Warehouse District. "Now I appreciate urban living, and places like this area. Cleveland is such a chain town. (Larchmere) is a nice alternative," he says.

"When you go to New York, you can find all these little restaurants that are unique and independently owned," continues Himmel, who's working on getting more involved with Cleveland Originals, a group of local, independent restaurateurs. "Everyone complains that Cleveland's not a place for young people. My goal is to change that mentality. The younger generation needs to stop complaining, open up a newspaper and say, 'Let's try this new restaurant. Let's go to this new area.'"