The buildings that once housed Firestone’s Culinary Tavern and Sidecar Bar, which served the community from 1999 until their closing in 2024, have been purchased by N. Market Venture LLC, an investment group with deep roots in the local restaurant scene.

The $2.6 million sale of 105–107 N. Market Street was handled by MacKenzie Retail, with agents Henry Deford, Tim Harrington, and Corey Caputo leading the transaction. The new owners plan to debut Fire & Oak, a restaurant offering Modern American Cuisine with a bar element, by mid-November.

The group says its goal is to “emulate and honor the customer experience offered by Firestone’s Culinary Tavern with a distinctive concept which maintains the charm of the downtown Frederick area,” according to the release.

Deford described the sale as a success for both the sellers and the community. “We achieved the best possible outcome with this sale on many levels,” he said. “Our number one priority, which mirrored the wishes of the Wasley Family, was to secure an 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.” He added that the local ownership “represents tremendous news for the Frederick-area restaurant scene,” noting that Fire & Oak could become “a regional draw.”

The Wasley Family, who took over operations following the passing of founder Kimball ‘Kim’ Firestone, placed the properties for sale nine months ago. Firestone, a former Firestone Tire and Rubber Company executive and longtime Frederick restaurateur, opened Firestone’s in 1999, transforming the former Donnelly’s into one of the city’s most popular dining destinations.

Meanwhile, MacKenzie Retail noted that a separate two-story property at 113–115 N. Market Street, formerly home to Market on Market, remains available for sale. The 2,600-square-foot building includes restaurant equipment, furnishings, and fixtures, offering “the opportunity for potential suitors to express their interest,” said Harrington.

He cited the “popularity of, energy in, and momentum of Downtown Frederick” as a strong selling point, highlighting the area’s growing reputation as a culinary and cultural hub attracting visitors from across the region.

With Fire & Oak preparing to open its doors next month, the spirit of Kim Firestone’s culinary vision appears ready to continue, rekindled under a new name but with the same passion for food and community that defined the original.