SAN ANTONIO — As Sean Wen walks around the northern stretch of the St. Mary’s Strip, he can’t help but remember the mayhem that construction caused in the area.

“It’s beautiful now. I think it doesn’t obviously undo all the two and a half, three years of craziness of construction,” Wen said. 

The area underwent a $12 million construction project, which widened sidewalks, created bike lanes and pedestrian walking. The project took a year longer than expected to complete. 

Even though people supported Wen’s restaurant, Curry Boys, he says it was a struggle. 

Christopher Cullum says it was felt on the other side of the St. Mary’s Strip as the gutted roads redirected traffic away from his business, Cullum’s AttaBoy. “You weren’t able to walk down the street. It looked like a war zone of rocks and orange and white signs,” Cullum said. 

Wen and Cullum surviving the strip construction wasn’t the only shared experiences they had. The two neighbors from opposite ends of the street are now semi-finalists for the James Beard Best Chef Category in Texas. 

“It just doubles the magnitude of it because it was such a surprise,” Wen said.

“Any kind of accolades is extra because we’ve already won,” Cullum said. 

Curry Boys earned its nomination with its Texas barbecue infused with curry while Cullum was recognized for his breakfast foods. 

“You can get a good burger, steak and eggs, even a glass of champagne if you like,” Cullum said. 

Both business owners say last year was about staying afloat, not making a list. 

“We’ll use our own breath to fly our own kite and when the times are headed our way, we will celebrate them,” Cullum said. 

The finalist for the best Texas Chef category won’t be named until April. Until then, Wen and Cullum are glad to see business steady again. 

“There’s beautiful trees, pedestrian walkways are wide enough, there’s a bike lane. It’s nice to be on the other side of it now,” Wen said.