(Columbia Daily Tribune (Columbia, MO) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 6--Two downtown restaurant spots that were vacated this summer have new tenants.

The owners of St. Louis-based Tin Can Tavern and Grille signed a deal last week to open their third location in the 4,500-square-foot leasehold at 220 S. Eighth St. that formerly housed Bread Basket Cafe, and an American bistro is planned for the former Grill One-5 location at 15 S. Sixth St.

Owner Josh Alt said Tin Can Tavern and Grille was founded on the premise that people still like canned beer -- "the kind of stuff you stole from your dad's fridge in the garage. The kind of beer that your grandparents grew up drinking. The kind of beverages you drank in college when money was tight."

Alt and co-owners Mike Headrick and Rob Burke, a University of Missouri grad, met while working for the Llywelyn's Pub family of restaurants in St. Louis. They began developing the Tin Can concept in 2004 and opened the first tavern in 2005 on Morganford Road in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of St. Louis. A second St. Louis location followed about two years later.

But almost from the beginning they had an eye on Columbia for expansion, said Burke, who attended Mizzou and was a member of the lacrosse team. Burke graduated in the early 1990s with a degree in history and a minor in political science.

"Our idea was to get one up and going here in St. Louis but eventually branch out to the college towns, with Columbia being first on our list," Burke said.

Burke said over the years they looked at lots of sites but couldn't find the right fit. When the Bread Basket location came open, they jumped on it. Local real estate agent Ron Coleman of Gaslight Properties GMAC Real Estate brokered the deal. Coleman is familiar with the concept because his son Justin works at the Morganford Road location, Alt said.

Alt said that although Tin Can Tavern offers a few selections on tap and by the bottle, the owners stick to their shtick by offering about 57 varieties of canned beer. Alt said the number they have at the Columbia location will depend on what is available from local distributors, but he guesses it will be more than 50.

Along with the beer, the Tin Can offers home-style, stick-to-your-ribs food, including fried bologna, fried chicken, pot roast, barbecue pork steaks and meatloaf.

Royce "Rocky" Hazelwood joined the partnership to open the Columbia location. Burke said the goal is to open by the middle of next month, in time for Homecoming at MU, which is Oct. 25.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Columbia native Brian Coley is opening Coley's, an American Bistro, at the former Grill One-5 location on Sixth Street.

Coley graduated in May from MU with a degree in hotel and restaurant management. He said he hopes to have the restaurant open in time for the Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Festival, set for Oct. 3 and 4.

Coley said the full-service restaurant will offer lunch and dinner, featuring a wide variety of food, including steaks, chicken and pasta. "Something a little more contemporary," he said.

CERTITUDE

Columbia native Lisa Weaver this week opened Certitude Mortgage, a division of NetMore America, downtown at 717 Cherry St., Suite B.

NetMore America is a professional mortgage bank branch system that gives partners an equity position in the company.

While the Columbia office just got up and running, Weaver also is opening branches of the mortgage banking business in other Midwest states. Weaver, who has 25 years of experience in the mortgage industry, said the business underwrites and closes its own loans.

Before starting Certitude Mortgage, Weaver was director of market development for Genworth Mortgage Insurance. She also developed the Underwriter Certification Program for the Mortgage Bankers Association, the national association representing the real estate finance industry.

Weaver said it's the right time to start a strong mortgage business because the Midwest market is more stable than other areas of the country.

That makes sense. According to Webster's, certitude is a feeling of absolute sureness.

QUICKIES

Delta Systems Group,

a local Web design and tech support firm, has acquired Perryman Technology, a local network and PC support service company, according to a news release. Perryman clients now will be serviced by Delta Systems. Founded in 1986 as a training company, Delta Systems offers expertise in writing software and database systems, installing and maintaining networks and hardware, building Web sites, creating and improving databases and training employees. ... The Outsource Group, a collections company launched in Columbia more than 30 years ago, recently purchased Charlotte, N.C.-based Healthcare Resource Associates Inc., a leading health-care collection company that specializes in bad debt recovery, business office solutions for hospitals and physician practices and other services. Late in 2004, Michael DiMarco of St. Louis and Newport Beach, Calif.-based ClearLight Partners bought The Outsource Group from local businessman George Ousley. The company offers collection, insurance resolution and other services for health-care providers nationwide. ... A Polished Nail has moved to 4200 Merchant St., Suite 104, in the Village of Cherry Hill. The nail salon -- which is owned by Mindy Nelson and offers manicures, pedicures and acrylic nails -- shares space with Shear Madness Hair Salon, which is owned by Tobby Brockhouse.

To see more of the Columbia Daily Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbiatribune.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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