FeedsBusiness picks up in Cherry Hill Village
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Wally Kalled, above, owner of Cherry Martini, said it was a leap of faith to open an upscale bar on Ridge and Cherry Hill roads, but it has worked out so far.The Cherry Hill Village has a new beat.
The newest addition to the award-winning development brings with it neon backlights, an open, comfortable setting and a friendly atmosphere designed to enhance the pedestrian-centered environment in a historic portion of Canton Township.
The Cherry Martini is open for business.
The brainchild of owner Wally Kalled and his business partner and general manager Ollie Nehmeh, The bar brings an upscale flavor to an area once populated by corn stalks.
“It took a lot of work for us to get here,” said Kalled of the martini bar, which opened a week ago. “We were committed to being a part of a nice neighborhood.”
The village is just that. The development, a series of subdivisions surrounding what was once the hamlet of Cherry Hill, was planned as an exercise in smart growth. With a variety of housing stock ranging from entry level to larger rural estates, it includes a central business core dominated by the Village Theater at Cherry Hill. Canton Township has municipal facilities nearby—the Human Services Building and a new fire station—and other businesses have popped up along the central retail section, too, including a gift shop and a coffee shop.
Cherry Hill Village was established in 2001. The Cherry Martini doesn’t date back that far, but Kalled said it sometimes seems like it did. He can remember, about two years ago, walking through an empty field staking out what would be the general layout of the bar, armed only with a measuring stick and his imagination.
“We’re proud of it,” he said. “It took us a long time to put it together.”
The Cherry Martini was a bit of a leap for Kalled, who changed careers after 20 years of working as a stockbroker. Nehmeh has a restaurant background, but this is the first liquor oriented venture for the pair.
The decision to open such a facility may have been a stretch, but the potential location was not. Kalled said he liked its position between the busy portions of western Wayne County and Ann Arbor.
“I know we’re off Ford Road, but I see that as a good thing,” he said.
The bar is designed to feed off The Village Theater, too. In fact, there’s a door that leads from the lobby of the municipal playhouse to the Cherry Martini, and Kalled said he’s already seen a strong influx of foot traffic.
The commercial components of Cherry Hill Village have come on line after many of the brightly-colored houses have been constructed across the street and further down the road. The gradual attention the development has received, though, has made it more attractive for retailers.
“It’s building up, but it’s taken some time,” said Ronnie Salameh, a manager at the nearby Cantonian Market. “It’s a beautiful neighborhood as it is; I think it’s the best neighborhood in Wayne County.”
If that trend continues it means good things for Kalled and Cherry Martini, where you can order anything from a Tokyo Rose to a Canton Cosmo or try one of several bottled beers.
“Is it a leap of faith? Yeah,” he said. “Is it worth it? Yes.”
