An Allegheny Township man who took over a Lower Burrell pie business will be opening a storefront in New Kensington in time for the city’s second annual “Restaurant Ramble” this month.

Jim Rennick, owner of Farm House Fresh, said a mini cheesecake will be his contribution to the small bites offered in the March 25 event showcasing 10 of the city’s downtown eateries.

Rennick took over The Fruitful Kitchen in 2019. He renamed it Farm House Fresh and is adding cakes, cookies, pastries and comfort foods.

Rennick is moving Farm House Fresh into a space in Kenmar Suites on Fifth Avenue that, since April 2021, had been home to a vegan bakery, Sweet Alchemy, which is moving into a larger storefront on Fifth Avenue.

“We’re really excited to have a new location. We feel like there is a lot of potential,” said Rennick, who earned a culinary degree after being laid off from his 26-year career in computers. “We have a pretty good customer base that we contact through email and social media. We have a lot of enthusiasm. They’re excited to come down and visit us.”

Tickets for the Restaurant Ramble cost $35 and are available online and at Voodoo Brewing New Kensington, 956 Fifth Ave., until midnight March 17. No tickets will be sold the day of the event.

In addition to Farm House Fresh, Sweet Alchemy and Voodoo, the other participating restaurants are Ashley’s Kitchen, Eazer’s Restaurant, Fox’s Pizza Den, Fat Cat’s Fundraisers, Panda Restaurant, Steel Cup Coffee Roasters and Sweet Tillies.

During the event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., each participating restaurant will provide a sample beverage, food item or both available only to ticket holders. Ticket holders will start at Voodoo, where they will get wristbands giving them access to the offerings and a map of restaurant locations.

For those wanting to get all the offerings in one location, a VIP ticket is available for $55 that will see the small bites and beverages served by event hosts “Shop Small. Shop New Ken” from 2 to 4 p.m. at Voodoo, along with “special surprises” not available to standard ticket holders.

The VIP experience was added based on feedback from the first event, said Michelle Thom, operations manager of Voodoo Brewing New Kensington and Olde Towne Overhaul.

“This event was hugely popular last year, and despite the snow flurries everyone loved the experience and sense of community created,” she said.

Thom, who organizes the event with Sweet Alchemy owner Jamie Parker, said it was started last year to help downtown New Kensington’s restaurants, most of which were impacted by the pandemic and are still dealing with workforce issues and rising food costs.

“As we both run food establishments ourselves, we understand how challenging this industry has been during the last few years, and we wanted to host an event that focuses specifically on food businesses,” Thom said.

“We also understand it may be challenging for customers to try all of the restaurants in town. This event allows customers to receive a sample of 10 restaurants for a low financial commitment of the ticket price. Our hope is people discover the restaurants during our event and return again.”

Parker, whose Sweet Alchemy will be at 945 Fifth Ave., hopes to be open in the next two weeks with a grand opening scheduled for April. Her shop is more than doubling in size, from 480 square feet to a little over 1,000 square feet.

“Our menu is switching gears a little bit as the space is as a whole. We are adding some savory options, including soups, sandwiches, salads and a beverage bar that will offer coffee, espresso, tea and lemonade,” she said. “Sweet Alchemy, overall, is moving into a new direction, and I think the new space is more of a gathering place and a place for the community.”

Parker said she is planning to offer baking and cooking classes, host events and workshops, work on a community garden with free produce and herbs, and add a reading area with donated books that people can take.

Rennick, who was working on his space Thursday, said he hopes to be up and running in New Kensington by around mid-month. His hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. He will run the shop with his pastry chef, Hailey Sabot, who he worked with at Oakmont Country Club.

“We’re going to move in as fast as we can,” he said Tuesday. “We plan to be up and running within 10 days or so.”

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