A unique take on a Mexican-themed restaurant is slowly taking shape on the edge of the Arts District in downtown Benton Harbor. ‘ANEMEL’ is the creation of local restaurant owner James Galbraith, who’s been putting the elements of the place together in his mind for several years. You may recognize Galbraith as the co-owner of Houndstooth, a unique upscale eatery that’s also in downtown Benton Harbor.
“I wanted to do a taqueria before Houndstooth,” Galbraith told us in an interview. “It took until now for all the pieces to come together. But you can get a taco in lots of places. So, we’ll concentrate on being a tortaria, and stand out that way!”
A torta is a Mexican sandwich. Galbraith says, “Our focus will be the tortas. There will be tacos, there’ll be seviche, there’ll be queso fundido, there’ll be lots of things, but the tortas are our focus. We’re going to be a Mexican sandwich shop that’s a fun place to eat, as well as carry-out from.”
Galbraith also envisions putting what he calls “a global spin on things” with a few items from around the World, pointing to ‘Crab Rangoon Nachos’ as an example. He’s found that the international flavors he enjoys personally have been popular at Houndstooth, so he’ll try the same idea in a different way at Anemel.
Galbraith is putting all those ideas together and creating ‘Anemel’ in a long-empty, triangular, former gas station building on East Main at Fifth Street downtown. The location comes complete with an old Texaco sign that’ll be repurposed. There’ll be both indoor and seasonal outdoor seating. And a big overhead door will allow the outdoors to be invited in when Michigan weather cooperates. A dedicated ‘Grab & Go’ carry-out window will allow take-out customers to pick up without inter-acting with people dining-in.
The décor will carry out the Mexican theme, with bright colors on many surfaces and Russian Birch trim. Historical photos of the Arts District in the 30s and 40s are planned for the walls, supplied by the Heritage Museum in St. Joseph. In keeping with the building’s history, there will also be some gas station memorabilia from the 20th Century.
Galbraith says his new place will occupy a sort of mid-range. It won’t be ‘upscale’ because you’ll place your order at the counter and have it delivered to your table. However, it certainly won’t be fast-food in any way. Its menu will be unique in the area, Mexican-themed but not ‘authentic Mexican’, as Galbraith is clear to point out.
“Casual, but thoughtful,” he says. “I like to say my restaurants are ‘intentional’, because it’s in all the details where you ‘shine’ for your customers and stand out from your competition.” Galbraith started in the restaurant business 20 years ago as a teenager. He’s excited about this next step on what he calls his ‘journey in the hospitality industry.’
He’ll co-own Anemel with his wife, Gabrielle Sukich. At Houndstooth, he’s the co-owner with sister, Cheyenne Galbraith. James worked or interned at eight different restaurants in the Chicago area, often on his days off from fulltime jobs in Southwest Michigan. He wants to mentor others in the business, but not require a seven-day commitment from them to do it.
“Work-Life Balance is a real thing,” Galbraith says. “And the people I need to work in my restaurant need to have it, even if previous generations didn’t. I think my job as a husband and parent is more important than my job as a Chef! It took me a long time to realize that.” He says he took his nine-year-old daughter out ‘trick or treating’ forf the first time this past Halloween.
In that spirit, Galbraith is planning on utilizing a different system for tips and gratuities at Anemel. He says a ‘Tip Pool’ drives the entire staff to strive for excellence, not just one or two ‘star servers.’ Under the system, everyone serving customers makes the same base rate, and all share in tips from the team doing an outstanding job.
At Anemel a service fee will be added to guest checks, with proper and clear up-front explanation. Guests, of course, can adjust the amount at their discretion. Galbraith says he wants to facilitate careers in hospitality, not just short-term jobs. “No more 70-80 hour weeks,” he says. In the future, he hopes to make health care benefits available to employees, which is rare in the restaurant business.
While Anemel’s opening is at least four months away—probably longer due to supply chain issues with equipment—Galbraith has a pretty clear idea of the menu concepts that will take center-stage. An open, visible kitchen will dominate the interior of the restaurant. A wood fired oven will dominate the kitchen. Galbraith says, “I want as many of the items as possible to touch the wood… to get the smoky flavor and aroma.”
Another feature of the kitchen is a vertical rotisserie, a turning ‘spit’ known as a ‘trompo’, used to grill various cuts of meat as they rotate on the spit. Galbraith says, “It’s fun to watch and delicious to taste.” He predicts the Lamb Shawarma will be one of the most popular items from the trompo.
A featured beverage item will be ‘Slushy Margaritas’ from a special frozen drink machine. Anemel will also have wine and a selection of canned beer and soft drinks. No cocktails or mixed drinks will be served.
Special breads and rolls for the tortas will be supplied daily by the award-winning Bit O’ Swiss bakery. Galbraith hopes to develop ‘house made salsa’ that will eventually be sold for take-home both in-store and at other retail locations.
Galbraith anticipates employing 10-14 people, perhaps more in the busy season. He hopes to be open ‘before it gets cold’ later this year. However, supply chain uncertainties make it difficult to be more specific. Renovation is well underway and Anemel—in James Galbraith’s mind for years– is now taking shape in reality.
Photo credit: Gabrielle Sukich
