Cafe Hon
Encyclopedia
Cafe Hon is a restaurant in the Hampden area of Baltimore, Maryland and site of the annual HonFest
every June.
graduate and gourmandizer Denise Whiting in 1992, Cafe Hon takes its name from a common term of endearment ("hon" - an abbreviated version of the word "honey") used by Baltimore residents
for years. In 2007 she was quoted as saying she hoped to generate more than $2 million between her restaurant and merchandise.
In 2002, the iconic flamingo sculpture was introduced above the restaurant. The original flamingo was made of wire and cloth.
Following the trial of Sheila Dixon
(the former mayor of Baltimore), Elaine Pollack, known as "Juror no. 11" during the trial, came under fire as it was later learned that she was present during the unveiling of the second flamingo along with Dixon
. This was one of Dixon's last public appearances before her resignation.
Whiting has a trademark on the term "hon," and in 2010 announced the opening of HONtown, a gift shop across the street. The trademark issue was criticized by Dan Rodricks, columnist for The Baltimore Sun
: "You can't own something that doesn't belong to you.... 'Hon' isn't unique to Denise Whiting, no matter how special she wants us to believe she is."
Because of Whiting's trademark many citizens of Baltimore were outraged and took to the streets in protest on December 19th to express their anger.
On October 26th, 2011 it was announced that Cafe Hon had been declared a Kitchen Nightmare
by Chef Gordon Ramsay
and would be appearing on a future episode of the show. Cafe Hon is one of the more prominent establishments to appear on the show and said appearance may indicate that Cafe Hon is at risk of failure.
On November 7, 2011, Cafe Hon owner Dense Whiting had an unusual press conference that also featured Gordon Ramsay announcing that she would be relinquishing the "Hon" trademark and Gordon Ramsay stated that with Cafe Hon, "There was a level of hatred that was almost untouchable. I've never known a restaurant to have such a huge issue." The Cafe Hon episode of Kitchen Nightmares has been briefly described in a Baltimore Sun article, stating that while the typical Kitchen Nightmares episode features "slovenly kitchens and indolent staffs" the Cafe Hon episode apparently deals with a "unique" public relations issue, "one woman vs. a city." Gordon Ramsay helped improve the decor and the cuisine of Cafe Hon. Whiting stated that the controversy over trademarking the word "Hon" had a huge toll on her business and her own health, she estimated that since it was first revealed in December of 2010 that "Hon" was trademarked to her, she estimated a "20 to 25 percent drop off" in sales and that she needed to sell her IRAs just to meet payroll.
Whiting stated that the flamingo was "hibernating" during its time of absence, and was determined to fight the city. During this time, many citizens of Baltimore protested the city's decision to order the flamingo removed. Whiting and the city finally reached an agreement, in which the permit fee would be at least $400 a year, and the flamingo returned.
The new flamingo that was introduced is made of fiberglass
. Then Mayor Sheila Dixon was present at its unveiling.
HonFest
HonFest is an annual festival held in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. HonFest takes its name from the word 'hon' -- a term of address or endearment, being an abbreviation for "honey" in Baltimorese; it is often used in the common greeting "Hey, hon." The festival began in 1994 as a...
every June.
History
Opened by University of BaltimoreUniversity of Baltimore
The University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...
graduate and gourmandizer Denise Whiting in 1992, Cafe Hon takes its name from a common term of endearment ("hon" - an abbreviated version of the word "honey") used by Baltimore residents
Baltimorese
The Baltimore dialect, most popularly known as Baltimorese , is a dialect of American English in the Mid-Atlantic United States that originated among the White blue-collar residents of South and Southeast Baltimore...
for years. In 2007 she was quoted as saying she hoped to generate more than $2 million between her restaurant and merchandise.
In 2002, the iconic flamingo sculpture was introduced above the restaurant. The original flamingo was made of wire and cloth.
Following the trial of Sheila Dixon
Sheila Dixon trial
The trial of Sheila Dixon, the former mayor of Baltimore, started on November 9, 2009. It is the first of two scheduled trials for Dixon on a variety of charges. The charges stem from alleged corruption on the part of the mayor involving gifts she allegedly received and gift cards she allegedly...
(the former mayor of Baltimore), Elaine Pollack, known as "Juror no. 11" during the trial, came under fire as it was later learned that she was present during the unveiling of the second flamingo along with Dixon
Sheila Dixon
Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...
. This was one of Dixon's last public appearances before her resignation.
Whiting has a trademark on the term "hon," and in 2010 announced the opening of HONtown, a gift shop across the street. The trademark issue was criticized by Dan Rodricks, columnist for The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
: "You can't own something that doesn't belong to you.... 'Hon' isn't unique to Denise Whiting, no matter how special she wants us to believe she is."
Because of Whiting's trademark many citizens of Baltimore were outraged and took to the streets in protest on December 19th to express their anger.
On October 26th, 2011 it was announced that Cafe Hon had been declared a Kitchen Nightmare
Kitchen Nightmares
Kitchen Nightmares is an American reality television series broadcast on the Fox network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The show is produced by ITV Studios...
by Chef Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
and would be appearing on a future episode of the show. Cafe Hon is one of the more prominent establishments to appear on the show and said appearance may indicate that Cafe Hon is at risk of failure.
On November 7, 2011, Cafe Hon owner Dense Whiting had an unusual press conference that also featured Gordon Ramsay announcing that she would be relinquishing the "Hon" trademark and Gordon Ramsay stated that with Cafe Hon, "There was a level of hatred that was almost untouchable. I've never known a restaurant to have such a huge issue." The Cafe Hon episode of Kitchen Nightmares has been briefly described in a Baltimore Sun article, stating that while the typical Kitchen Nightmares episode features "slovenly kitchens and indolent staffs" the Cafe Hon episode apparently deals with a "unique" public relations issue, "one woman vs. a city." Gordon Ramsay helped improve the decor and the cuisine of Cafe Hon. Whiting stated that the controversy over trademarking the word "Hon" had a huge toll on her business and her own health, she estimated that since it was first revealed in December of 2010 that "Hon" was trademarked to her, she estimated a "20 to 25 percent drop off" in sales and that she needed to sell her IRAs just to meet payroll.
Flamingo controversy
In October 2009, the city of Baltimore announced the Cafe Hon had to either get a permit for the flamingo at a cost of $1300 for the first year and $800 each year thereafter or to take it down. The issue was that the flamingo protruded into the public right-of-way. The bird was temporarily removed while this case was being disputed.Whiting stated that the flamingo was "hibernating" during its time of absence, and was determined to fight the city. During this time, many citizens of Baltimore protested the city's decision to order the flamingo removed. Whiting and the city finally reached an agreement, in which the permit fee would be at least $400 a year, and the flamingo returned.
The new flamingo that was introduced is made of fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
. Then Mayor Sheila Dixon was present at its unveiling.