Garry's Grill Lives Up To Best Of Severna Park Status

By Meredith Thompson

Garry’s Grill – Where Friends Meet and Locals Eat – recently celebrated its 21st birthday, marking over two decades of success since founder Garry Anderson opened the restaurant in 1991. Now, under Eddie Conway’s management, Garry’s continues its legacy of commitment to quality through utilizing the freshest available ingredients for each dish.

Entering the restaurant business was a natural fit for Conway, whose father’s parents owned a deli and mother’s dad was a baker in Long Island. With entrepreneurship in his blood, he began working at Garry’s Grill washing dishes at the age of 14, and fell in love with the warm, intimate atmosphere and great service.

“Garry wanted a fresh, innovative take on food. He was beyond his time, and he knew exactly what was going on. He was always about a year ahead of the corporate chains,” Conway said of his mentor. “He was a genius when it came to innovative food ideas. He gave me a mold, and I ran with it.”

While studying business and broadcasting at Wesley College, Conway traveled home on the weekends to work as a server at Garry’s. After his sophomore year, an opportunity for manager opened up and he jumped at the possibilities it offered.

Garry’s Grill is known not only for its unique dishes – including spiced tea, pumpkin muffins and sesame chicken among other palate pleasers – but for its catering business, which aims to customize menus for any event. Garry’s Catering started five years ago, and has grown by leaps and bounds. “Our catering is off the wall,” Conway beamed. “I love going into a house and making it look like the homeowner cooked everything, to make them happy. That’s what business is to me – making people happy.”

Conway, whose favorite dish at Garry’s is the baja bowtie pasta, was recently recognized by the U.S. Small Business Association as Maryland’s 2012 Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Humble about his excellence, denoted by this and other awards, Conway’s focus remains on his passion for his community. “I think about it a lot – whether I would move outside of Severna Park – and the answer is always ‘no,’” he said. “It’s like a ‘Cheers’ atmosphere here, and when you walk down the street everyone knows your name.”

He and the staff of Garry’s Grill are preparing to cater the Special Olympics, and provide their garden salad each year for the Severna Park Community Center’s spaghetti dinner. Additionally, Conway supports local high schools financially, distributing about $12,000 each year. “I really love giving back to the community,” he summarized.

Conway, an active member of the Severna Park Chamber of Commerce, expressed contentment with his business. “Everyone says we should expand but I think it’s perfect!” he said of his grill. “My aspirations are to knock down the front wall and have outdoor seating out front, but otherwise, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it!”

Click here to read our recent review of Garry's Grill.

To learn more about the fresh-baked desserts, catering options and service at Garry’s Grill, visit www.garrysgrill.com.