The longtime home of Firestone’s Culinary Tavern and Sidecar Bar in downtown Frederick has been sold for $2.6 million, according to a press release from MacKenzie Retail.
The properties at 105-107 North Market Street, which housed the popular dining destination from 1999 until its closing in 2024, were purchased by N. Market Venture LLC, a local restaurant investment group that plans to open a new concept called Fire & Oak.
The new restaurant will occupy more than 12,000 square feet across the adjoining three- and four-story buildings and is targeting a mid-November opening. The ownership group, which operates multiple restaurants in Frederick, describes Fire & Oak as a Modern American restaurant with a bar element that will “emulate and honor the customer experience offered by Firestone’s Culinary Tavern while maintaining the charm of downtown Frederick.”
MacKenzie Retail brokers Henry Deford, Tim Harrington, and Corey Caputo handled the sale, which followed the passing of restaurateur and founder Kimball “Kim” Firestone last year. “Our number one priority was to secure ownership with extreme familiarity of the former use, as well as the desire to secure the legacy of Firestone’s Culinary Tavern and its founders,” said Deford. “Maintaining local ownership represents tremendous news for the Frederick-area restaurant scene, and we also envision Fire & Oak becoming a regional draw.”
One additional property connected to the Firestone’s group remains available. The two-story building at 113-115 North Market Street, which previously housed Market on Market, is still for sale. The roughly 2,600-square-foot space includes all restaurant and retail assets such as kitchen equipment and furniture. “We have fielded considerable activity on this building but there still remains the opportunity for potential suitors to express their interest,” said Harrington, noting the continued popularity and momentum of downtown Frederick’s restaurant scene.
Kim Firestone, a former executive with the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, founded Firestone’s Culinary Tavern after moving to Frederick from Washington, D.C., to pursue his passion for hospitality. The restaurant became a fixture in the city’s dining landscape, expanding in 2015 with the addition of Firestone’s Sidecar Bar, an upscale cocktail and whiskey lounge. The Wasley Family, who operated the restaurant alongside Firestone for many years, placed the buildings on the market in late 2024.
Firestone’s Culinary Tavern was more than just a restaurant, it was a cornerstone of Frederick’s downtown revival and a gathering place that helped shape the city’s identity as a regional dining destination. The opening of Fire & Oak promises to carry that spirit forward while ushering in a new era for one of Market Street’s most recognizable addresses.
MacKenzie Retail, a division of The MacKenzie Companies, brokered the transaction. The firm provides full-service real estate solutions for owners, investors, and businesses throughout the region.
