I’ve never been to Braddock.
Braddock, Pennsylvania. Home of the first Carnegie Library in the United States. Where A&P opened their first supermarket. Location of one of the first indoor car dealerships in the country. And hopefully, soon home to a new restaurant.
That wouldn’t be a big deal except for the fact that there are no restaurants in Braddock anymore.
Chef Kevin Sousa wants to open a restaurant in an abandoned car dealership, the indoor dealership that opened in 1921 and was known as Superior Motors. The restaurant will take on that name, and, Chef Sousa and Braddock Mayor John Fetterman proclaim, will be more than just a restaurant.
They envision it as a beacon of hope in a city that has gone from a population of 20,879 in 1920 to 2,159 in 2010. A center for culinary training and farm-to-table food production. A unique opportunity in a place devoid of opportunity.
I’ve never been to Braddock, but I might have to visit.
Working with the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation, I’m always looking out for urban redevelopment success stories. Braddock is very different from Beaver Falls, of course; Beaver Falls has several restaurants from fast-food, to diner, to fancy. But some of the issues it faces are similar, including the loss of the steel industry in the ’70s and ’80s and the declining population. When something good happens in communities like these, it’s exciting.
And I suppose that’s why I pledged to support Superior Motor’s Kickstarter campaign. At the moment they are 46% funded with 10 days to go to raise the money needed to launch the project. If you’re a fan of local food, local enterprise, and success stories in the making, why not contribute?
I’ll see you in Braddock.
(Photo: Chef Sousa, Braddock Youth Project training class at the community bread oven. From http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/379429428/superior-motors-community-restaurant-and-farm-ecos)
