A highly anticipated restaurant project years in the making just released official details. Baltimore restaurant group Foreman Wolf—whose portfolio includes Charleston, Petit Louis Bistro, Cinghiale, Johnny’s, and The Milton Inn—announced today that it will open The Duchess inside the former home of Cafe Hon on the Avenue in Hampden, with a projected opening in October.
The concept will be an “authentically styled English pub” featuring cuisine of the Mariana Islands, which includes Guam. Executive chef Kiko Fejarang has family roots there, and plans to infuse those flavors into the menu.
“Guam, or Chamorro, cuisine is a melting pot of Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Hawaiian flavors and traditions,” she said in a press release. “It’s food that reflects the best of the seasons and is intended to share. It’s never pretentious, but always honest, surprising, and memorable.”
Though details about the transformation of the old Cafe Hon space haven’t yet been released (stay tuned for an exclusive first look), the design will be a collaboration between Katie DeStefano of Katie DeStefano Design and Brian Thim of Hall & Co., who have both worked on previous creative projects for Foreman Wolf.
The changeover was first announced in 2022, just before the homey neighborhood go-to—long marked by its famous exterior flamingo sculpture—officially closed its doors after 30 years in business.
“It’s the best location in Hampden, because of the corner it’s on and the history of the building,” former Cafe Hon owner Denise Whiting told us at the time. “I just feel [Foreman Wolf co-owners Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf] will be really excellent people to love and nurture the location the way I did. You go into Petit Louis and Charleston and it feels really comfortable. It just made good sense.”
Since then, neighbors have heard murmurs about the concept, but nothing ever solidified. Despite the delays, Foreman Wolf president and CEO Tony Foreman always kept the building’s community significance top of mind.
“As one of Baltimore’s most iconic neighborhoods, Hampden requires something very unique and special,” Foreman said in a press release. “This wonderfully eclectic community, that I’ve had an affection for my whole life, has an irresistible personality that inspired us to develop something equally unique and memorable. The combination of a classic British public house with a Western Pacific-inspired menu reflecting Chef Kiko’s rich family traditions is our gift to Hampden and Baltimore.”
Fejarang is a Foreman Wolf alum, having previously worked in kitchens at Johnny’s in Roland Park and Pazo in Harbor East, which closed in 2016. In 2021 she became sous chef at The Milton Inn in Sparks, and currently lends her culinary talents at various Foreman Wolf restaurants while also training new staff.
“Executive chef Kiko is not only extraordinarily talented in her ability to successfully combine a diversity and complexity of flavors, but she knows and loves Baltimore as much as I do,” Foreman said. “She’s eager to share the experiences that influenced and inspired her passion to cook for others.”