Leesburg Food Fixture Poised for Makeover

German Fare May Replace Barbecue

By Arianne Aryanpur (Contact)

Sunday, January 6, 2008

The Mighty Midget Kitchen, a Leesburg landmark that flourished as a greasy spoon, lost its home, moved to a storage yard and was reborn as a barbecue haven, is about to take on a new personality: German restaurant and beer garden.

But the sudden news of the legendary eatery’s makeover has caused concern among some town officials, who are hoping they can accommodate the Midget’s transformation without losing the popular barbecue restaurant.

The tiny kitchen, which measures 6 by 9 feet and was crafted from the remnants of a World War II bomber, has been a town fixture since 1947.

For most of its life, it was a carryout place on Route 7 at the entrance to downtown Leesburg, serving diner food to a loyal following that included people traveling to and from the racetrack in Charlestown, W.Va. Then, in 1993, it was forced to close to make way for development. The property owner wanted to sell the land, once home to a gas station, and needed to remove the restaurant so that an underground oil tank could be cleaned.

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Mighty Midget Kitchen

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The Mighty Midget Kitchen in Leesburg was made from the fuselage of a B-29 bomber. For the past 7 years, B'z BBQ Company has operated out of the building. In March, Hamburg Doener, a German restaurant, will take over the space. (Arianne Aryanpur)

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The Mighty Midget Kitchen in Leesburg was made from the fuselage of a B-29 bomber. For the past 7 years, B'z BBQ Company has operated out of the building. In March, Hamburg Doener, a German restaurant, will take over the space. (Arianne Aryanpur)

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Outside the Mighty Midget Kitchen. (Arianne Aryanpur)

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The town purchased the building and eventually moved it to its current location on Harrison Street, leasing it to Gordon MacDowell, a kitchen remodeling contractor. MacDowell operated a restaurant there for several years before subletting the building to barbecue chef Brian DeVaux in 2000.

DeVaux, who has since won several local and regional awards for his barbecue dishes, said he was shocked when MacDowell told him last month that his sublease would not be renewed and that Hamburg Döner, the German restaurant, would be moving into the building in March.

“He gave me a letter on December 19th and told me I had to be out by the 30th,” said DeVaux, who was manager of a Safeway store before opening the barbecue place. “After seven years of blood, sweat and tears, I was told my livelihood was gone.”

He said that although his relationship with MacDowell had deteriorated over the years, he had not expected that he would be given less than two weeks to clear out.

MacDowell said there were many reasons he decided to terminate the lease, including his strained relationship with DeVaux, but he declined to elaborate. He also said that the new tenants’ vision for the Mighty Midget is more compatible with his own.

The owners of Hamburg Döner, Nicole Marschall and Timo Winkel, were selling carryout food from a truck in the parking lot of the Virginia Village Shopping Center in Leesburg until their agreement with the center expired last year.

MacDowell said he approached them about taking over the Mighty Midget. They told him they would be interested if he let them use 500 square feet in his kitchen design showroom, adjacent to the restaurant, so that they could expand its seating.

“They offered their help in realizing my dreams of securing a permanent and professional operator for the Mighty Midget Kitchen,” MacDowell said in an e-mail.

Marschall said Hamburg Döner will offer German cuisine such as bratwurst as well as Middle Eastern falafel and kebab. There will be a small indoor seating area, wireless Internet access and an outdoor beer garden with seating for up to 40 people, she said. DeVaux’s restaurant had only outdoor tables.

Marschall said the Midget’s legacy isn’t being abandoned. She plans to keep the Mighty Midget neon sign and create a plaque describing the eatery’s history. And the cooking will be done in the miniature kitchen.

“We’re looking forward to it, and we hope everyone else is, too,” she said.

DeVaux said European cuisine and a beer garden will rob the diner of its charm. “For the Mighty Midget to be turned into something other than the Mighty Midget Kitchen, it’s wrong. The tradition is dead,” he said.

For Leesburg Town Council member Kenneth D. Reid, the issue isn’t the menu at the Mighty Midget — it’s the prospect of seeing another restaurant leave the downtown area.

Under MacDowell’s 20-year lease with the town, a new business can’t move into the building without the town’s approval, Reid said. He plans to bring up the future of the Mighty Midget at a council work session tomorrow, he said. He also has been working with DeVaux and the town’s economic development department to find a new location for DeVaux’s business.

“Mr. DeVaux is literally one step away from moving out of Leesburg,” Reid said. “The broader issue here is that Leesburg has been losing restaurants. The public is demanding restaurants, and restaurants provide a good revenue stream to the town.”

DeVaux said he is interested in relocating in Leesburg or elsewhere in Loudoun.

“I don’t want to leave Loudoun County,” DeVaux said. “We bring a lot of business. I want to keep this alive. It’s a part of Loudoun County.”

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