DINNER DEALS: CHEAP-EATS RESTAURANTS FOR DATE NIGHT, GAME NIGHT, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
19 Feb 2010 l The Washington Post
It's not easy to create atmosphere in a huge, impersonal space attached to a mall. Punk's has done so by bringing the outside in. The concept of a backyard cookout drove the menu creation and much of the decor. Stand in line to order next to a faux picket fence. Sit down to eat at a picnic table underneath an umbrella. Plants scattered throughout the restaurant encourage a game of make-believe -- even in the heart of winter.
AN EMERGING RESTAURANT CHAIN'S FIRST YEAR
18 Feb 2010 l ChainLeader.com
How important are school projects? Ask Jeffrey Sloan, Sheila Laderberg or David McCabe, who together developed a restaurant concept for a graduate-level class at Cornell University. Today, they are partners in Punk's Backyard Grill, a fast-casual concept the trio introduced to classmates in 2005.
With a year of business behind them, the trio is now seeking a second site. It will likely be outside of Annapolis, Md., where the first restaurant opened a year ago this month. Chain Leader recently grilled General Manager Laderberg, 29, who like her partners earned a master's in management hospitality, about their first 12 months.
THIS NEW RESTAURANT BUSINESS IS A PICNIC
1 Feb 2010 l Restaurant Startup and Growth
The concept is simple — as simple as a picnic in the
backyard with family and friends. And that’s what
makes it so appealing, so fresh and so successful.
“Everything you experience here is something you see at
family reunions or a picnic at grandma’s house,” says Jeffrey
Sloan, co-founder and chairman of PBG Development Company,
the parent company of Punk’s Backyard Grill of
Annapolis, Maryland.
ANNAPOLIS' PUNK'S BACKYARD GRILL IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY PARTY: YOU'RE INVITED FOR FREE CAKE!
28 Jan 2010 l Baltimore Restaurant Examiner
Punk's Backyard Grill turns 1 year old on Monday. Go visit for some FREE homemade birthday cake and the chance to win all kinds of prizes! Punk's serves casual fare that's got a gourmet touch appealing to both the grown-ups and kids. Well, their handmade cocktails are grown-up fare, but the kids will like the all-natural Boylan soda machine. All times of the year are great to visit, because they do pride themselves in serving fresh, seasonal fare...the menu always has some new surprises to discover.
COUNTING DOWN THE TOP 10 OF 2009
31 Dec 2009 l The Capital
Other restaurants opening in 2009 include Punk's Backyard Grill at Westfield mall, Eggcellence just across from the mall on Housley Road, Wild Country Seafood in Eastport, Katana Sushi and Japanese Restaurant on Truman Parkway, and the Blue Dolphin Seafood Bar and Grill and the Empire Gardens Restaurant, both in Gambrills.
THE WEEKEND GUIDE
10 Dec 2009 l DailyCandy
SHAKE
Winter Mixology Class
What: Learn to perfect that spiced rum punch or champagne cocktail for your next shindig with lessons and tastings led by co-owner and chief mixologist David McCabe.
TURKEY TO GO: WHERE TO BUY TAKE-OUT THANKSGIVING DINNER
19 Nov 2009 l Washingtonian.com
This casual Annapolis restaurant is offering appetizers and dessert. Starters are a mixed-green salad with applewood-smoked bacon, candied pumpkin seeds, green apples, and gorgonzola, tossed with apple-cider vinaigrette ($39 for a half pan that serves five; $75 for a full pan); and butternut-squash-and-root-vegetable bisque or smoky black-bean soup ($12.49 for a 32-ounce container that serves four to six).
DRINKS SPECIAL: HOLIDAY RUM PUNCH
12 Nov 2009 l WeLoveDC
To help get us in the holiday mood, Dave McCabe tested out my kitchen one afternoon with a winter rum punch. He brought the punch ingredients, we provided the cheese, everyone got happy.
Formerly a manager at Oyamel, Dave is now co-owner of Punk’s Backyard Grill in Annapolis. He explained that the restaurant is dedicated to serving healthy food at reasonable prices, and as a member of the Maryland Green Registry is an avid believer in sustainability. Dave himself is clearly a passionate proponent of honest and simple ingredients, both in food and in cocktails. This punch recipe is both easy and approachable.
DINING@LARGE
6 Nov 2009 l Baltimore Sun
Punk’s, which is located in the Annapolis Mall, could easily be mistaken for some corporate eatery, but it is actually an independent restaurant that began as a thesis project of a group of students enrolled in Cornell’s restaurant graduate program.
Their concept is to recreate a backyard cookout, but I think that undersells the quality of the food. This place isn’t just serving up simple burgers and hotdogs alongside Natural Light and bug spray. Punk’s has excellent food that is fairly sophisticated but not pretentious.
WHAT'S COOKIN' FOR FALL AT ANNAPOLIS' PUNK'S BACKYARD GRILL?
4 Nov 2009 l Baltimore Restaurant Examiner
Punk's Backyard Grill, right in the Annapolis Mall, is still keeping seasonal with its fresh ingredients and menu flavors. The new additions to the menu aren't just reminiscent of fall, they are welcoming in the holidays early.
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD
12 Oct 2009 l Nation's Restaurant News
Punk's Backyard Grill featured in Nation's Restaurant News report on independent restaurants competing in a chain restaurant filled world.
O'MALLEY PRAISES COCA-COLA, STATE 'GREEN REGISTRY'
1 Oct 2009 l Baltimore Sun
Gov. Martin O'Malley stopped by a Coca-Cola bottling plant in East Baltimore on Wednesday - not for a drink, but to promote the company's environmental efforts and urge more Maryland businesses to jump onto the green bandwagon.
After touring the plant and trying his hand at crushing a batch of aluminum cans for recycling, the governor praised Coca-Cola Enterprises, a distribution arm of the giant beverage company, for its efforts to reduce its waste, energy and water use.
And he used his visit to plug his administration's "Maryland Green Registry," a self-nominating who's-who of businesses, universities and government agencies seeking recognition for voluntarily recycling waste and reducing energy use or pollution.
DINING OUT: YOU'LL BE FLOCKING TO THIS BACKYARD FOR A LONG TIME
6 Aug 2009 l The Capital
Punk's Backyard Grill. We had no idea what to expect. Would we have to bum mosquito repellent from our host because we forgot to bring ours? Would we have to go into survival mode when the dog escaped from the house and made a beeline for the T-bones that were languishing in a holding pattern by the Charmglow? Would we have to fight the ants for our potato salad? All these questions and more were soon to be answered, but first some mojitos.
WHAT'S COOKIN' FOR THE SUMMER AT PUNK'S BACKYARD GRILL
23 Jul 2009 l Baltimore Restaurant Examiner
There might be a little too much nostalgia for the home backyard picnic. Your folks don't do it as well as Annapolis' Punk's Backyard Grill.
RESTAURANT DESIGN: STEALING HOME
1 Jul 2009 l Chain Leader Magazine
Punk's Backyard Grill looks just like the setting for a cozy, casual family cookout—if the family happened to belong to Martha Stewart.
PUNK'S SERVES UP 'REAL FOOD, GOOD FOOD'
17 Jun 2009 l The Capital
In case you don't own a 'cue, the owners of Punk's Backyard Grill hope to re-create the All-American backyard grilling experience for you at their restaurant in Annapolis.
PUNK'S NAMED TO "CHEAP EATS 2009" LIST
1 Jun 2009 l Washingtonian
Why go: This high-concept fast-casual spot is like walking into a patio cookout—umbrellas, grill smoke, and all. And although the words “thrifty” and “locavore” don’t often go together, here they amount to a mission statement. Area purveyors supply the sausages, beef, even the ice cream; the sangría is made with Tempranillo and Triple Sec; and nothing tops $10.
PUNK'S WINS 'BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK'
27 May 2009 l What's Up Annapolis Magazine
It is an often heard question. And often is the case when this question elicits multiple answers or a singular confirmation. It is a question that can be asked at anytime and anywhere. It is a question whose final answers supersede all others. It is simply, “Who offers the best in the business?” Whether it’s a restaurant you seek for delicious seafood or a retailer that offers precious gems, it pays to know who is considered the best in the city.
A WINNING CONCEPT NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS
25 May 2009 l Cornell Hotel School Magazine
Along with the requisite competitive and financial analyses, MMH ’06 students Sheila Laderberg, David McCabe, and Jeffrey Sloan came to the 2005 Restaurant Development Concept Fair equipped with artificial turf, a Weber Kettle grill, five pounds of Sterno, and a quantity of pulled pork. “People thought we were crazy for working so hard,” said McCabe. But their hard work paid off—the team won the competition hands-down with their idea for Punk’s Backyard Grill.
FIRST BITE BY TOM SIETSEMA
6 May 2009 l The Washington Post
The only design detail stopping Punk's Backyard Grill from convincing customers they're sitting outside is
the ceiling above their heads. But even that is painted sky blue.
ANNAPOLIS RESTAURANT BUZZ
1 Apr 2009 l Whats Up Annapolis Magazine
Recently, The Buzz, had the distinct opportunity to visit the hip, new restaurant Punk’s Backyard Grill, which opened at Westfield Annapolis Mall officially this past February.
LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT IS HOPING TO BEAT THE ODDS
6 Feb 2009 l The Daily Record
With a sinking economy keeping more diners at home, one new restaurant’s owners hope their location and price can help them beat the odds.
BUSINESSES OPENING IN TOUGH TIMES FACE ANXIETY, ADVANTAGES
16 Nov 2008 l The Capital
Sheila Laderberg, a co-owner and founder of Punk's Backyard Grill, which is opening its first fast-casual restaurant at Westfield Annapolis mall in the January-February time frame, said her company lined up its equity investments a year ago, but noticed that lending restrictions got tight.
F-M GRAD COOKS UP NEW RESTAURANT IN MARYLAND
6 Nov 2008 l cnylink
Have you ever dreamed of opening your own business and turning it into a chain or franchise? David McCabe has, and he’s been finding out just what it takes to get the ball rolling as an accomplished restaurateur. McCabe, a 2000 Fayetteville-Manlius High School graduate, is on his way to creating what he hopes will become a national hit with Punk’s Backyard Grill.
NEW FACES AT THE MALL
6 May 2008 l The Capital
West Coast style clothing, crystal sculptures and a new restaurant featuring American cookout fare are being added to the tenant mix at the Westfield Annapolis mall.
A LESSON IN BURGERS
1 Sep 2007 l QSR Magazine
Sheila Laderberg, Jeffrey Sloan, and David McCabe took their project for restaurant development class at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Management very seriously...
CLASSMATES TURN CONTEST IDEA
INTO CHAIN CALLED PUNK'S
11 May 2007 l Washington Business Journal
When three classmates developed a quick-service backyard cookout concept for a class at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in the fall of 2005 ...