Corey Bartlett has been in the restaurant business his entire adult life and continues to try to “make people happy, and right now I’m doing it with my food.”
Next month, it will open its third restaurant in Olde Towne Market Place, C&D Caribbean Restaurant, which will feature a strong Caribbean menu and will only serve takeout.
“I am always up for a challenge and there is no competition for Caribbean food in your market,” said Bartlett. “That’s why we’re opening.” The menu will include jerk shrimp, jerk curry and chicken, and oxtail, along with homemade macaroni and cheese and plantains.
Several years ago, Marcia Hamilton, a native of the Caribbean islands, was the chef at Corey’s County Kitchen 2 “and she’ll be back with us, cooking up her specialties.”
Currently, Bartlett, 48, operates Corey’s Chicken Shack and next door, The Sammich Café, which opened last December.
Bartlett began his adventure in the restaurant business some 30 years ago as a teenager working for legendary Greek restaurant owner and chef Angelo Mageras of Williamsburg. Eventually, he became manager of the Mageras Country Harvest Buffet.
About 15 years ago, Bartlett became the owner of what is now called the Southern Pancake and Waffle House at 1605 Richmond Road. He has become the mainstay of Bartlett’s restaurant businesses and his success there has allowed Bartlett to continue “making people happy” with new restaurants.
Around 2015, Bartlett opened Corey’s Country Kitchen, which had the two spaces now occupied by the Chicken Shack and the Sammich Café. “We serve soul food and southern recipes and find a following,” she explained. In 2017 she opened Corey’s Country Kitchen 2 on Richmond Road.
Just before COVID-19 hit, the original country kitchen on Olde Towne Road became Chicken Shack “with a much smaller menu. And the chicken there became famous. If people asked in Williamsburg or on the Internet what was the best chicken in the area, we were always number 1. We worked the seasoning down to the last detail,” said Bartlett. “That helps make it so good.”
Southern fare is the “that’s my market” mainstay at Chicken Shack. “We have beef liver and chicken liver and chicken gizzards that no one else has,” she explained. “We pick our cabbages and make our own corn pudding.”
The Sammish Café was developed as a breakfast and all-day restaurant, where the menu from 7 to 11 am includes chicken biscuits, waffles and egg and cheese sammich or a bagel with sausage or bacon and egg.
The cafe also offers homemade egg salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad sammiches along with a Reuben, turkey club, pork barbecue, grilled cheese, and a wide variety of submarine sammiches. Bartlett said that he didn’t forget his homemade soups.
On April 28, Colonial Barber & Beauty, one of the area’s oldest barber shops, will open at Williamsburg Crossing at the corner of State Routes 5 and 199 (Humelsine Parkway).
Lisa Black, owner since 2001, has operated for years at 4655 Monticello Ave. in James City County. However, that location will close on April 23.
Black assured his friends and clients that the college and university pennants that have adorned his walls for the past several years will also be moving to the new location.
The Arby’s restaurant at 1993 Richmond Road in York County is closed.
Signs around the building read: “Sorry for the inconvenience. This store is closed.”
Corporate officials did not return calls, and York County Economic Development staff were unaware of the status of the restaurant.
Several blocks up the street, the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) at 1545 Richmond Road in Williamsburg will be closed for the next six to eight weeks due to a major interior remodel.
A construction manager at the site said the kitchen area will basically stay the same, but the entire sleeping area, including floors and ceilings, will be replaced. The well-known KFC buffet is pulling out due to COVID-19 complications.
California Tortilla, a popular Mexican restaurant chain, is returning to Williamsburg on Midtown Row. Hannah Warner, marketing and events coordinator for Midtown Row, confirmed that a lease has been signed, but no opening date has been set.
California Tortilla, a company based in Rockville, Maryland, is known as a “casual” restaurant and offers burritos, tacos, fajitas and quesadillas.
The James City County Parks and Recreation Department is holding two job fairs this month, April 19 and 30.
Department director John Carnifax said the JCC Recreation Services Office, 5340 Palmer Lane, will be open from 10 am to 1 pm both days to receive job applications.
Currently, parks and recreation job openings include assistant recreation supervisors, recreation leaders, therapeutic recreation leaders, and instructors.
•Tek Fusion Global Inc., an aviation and aerospace component manufacturing company, renewed its lease on 6,892 square feet of office space at 5425 Discovery Park Blvd. in James City County. Andy Dallas of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the owner.
•Williamsburg Winery renewed its lease on 1,308 square feet of retail space at 427 W. Duke of Gloucester St., in Merchants Square. Dawn F. Griggs and Drew Haynie of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the owner.
• Auto Clinic, an auto repair facility, has leased 3,500 square feet of industrial space at 251 Industrial Blvd. in Toaño. Clay Culbreth of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the landlord and tenant.
