Development News

Downtown Annapolis will soon have a new sweet spot.
 
JoJo's Cupcake & Cream expects to open May 25 on Main Street in Annapolis. The shop, which serves gourmet cupcakes and ice cream will be the company's fourth location in less than a year, owner Chris Wright says.
 
Wright invested more than $100,000 to get the 1,950-square-foot Annapolis location up and running.

After opening a shop last June in Easton, the company expanded to locations in Queenstown and St. Michaels. With its new location in Annapolis, the company will employ a total of 40 to 50 people including three bakers across its four locations. 
 
In the long term, Wright is interested in expanding closer to Baltimore and possibly franchising the venture. 
 
The Annapolis location has a party room that can be closed off for private events. Wright hopes to use the space for everything from showers to corporate team events.
 
Wright started the business with his wife in Easton where the couple lives with their young daughters. Wright's wife, a lawyer by training, creates the cupcake recipes and loves baking.
 
"I was trying to find something that would be really family friendly and fun for the girls, a place where they could grow up and learn a good work ethic," Wright says. "A lot has been done with them in mind."
 
The shop features 12 to 16 different cupcakes each day in their shops, the business has 68 different cupcakes that they rotate regularly. Some cupcake flavors include white chocolate raspberry, mint chocolate chip, butterscotch, banana pudding, and caramel apple.
 
The shop's ice cream comes from a local dairy, Kilby Cream, in Rising Sun.
 

 
Source: Chris Wright, owner
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 

The Baltimore Teachers Union is getting a makeover.
 
The union submitted an application to the city's zoning board to renovate 10,000-square-feet of existing office space along with construction of a 20,000-square-foot addition at the union's headquarters on Metro Drive in northwest Baltimore.
 
While the union is still in the planning stages of the process, Baltimore Teachers Union President Marietta English says that the union plans to create a professional development center for its members at the location.
 
The teachers' union current professional development center is housed in a school that provides limited access for the union, English says.
 
In addition to providing staff development in the space, the union plans to partner with universities to provide both undergraduate and graduate level college courses.
 
The office is trying to centralize all projects in one space, English says.
 
While the budget for the project wasn't disclosed, English says the BTU has a capital campaign committee that is exploring how to fund the project. 

Source: Marietta English, Baltimore Teachers Union president
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 
 

A new Hampden shop selling vintage clothing and threads from smaller designers hopes to appeal to both men and women in their search for that perfect T-shirt or unique accessory.
 
Hunting Ground opened last month in a 170-year-old church on Falls Road near the Avenue in Hampden.
 
Co-owners Jessica Soulen and Jenna Hattenburg have years of experience working in retail and decided to open a store where both men and women can shop together. They were looking to fill a void in Baltimore.
 
"Guys especially have a hard time finding stuff in Baltimore," Soulen says.
 
The 1,100-square-foot Hunting Ground aspires to create a casual atmosphere where shoppers can find interesting items, and neat accessories. Additionally, the shop buys clothing from people looking to sell items. The store's owners sell items that fit into a modern wardrobe versus having costume pieces, Soulen says.
 
The shop wanted to work with small designers to acquire its new clothing. The shop carries no big labels or anything you could find at the mall, Soulen says.
 
Soulen says that she and Hattenburg wanted to open a shop in Hampden to be close to a major shopping destination for Baltimore locals, but they didn't want a narrow space on the Avenue for their shop. Instead, they waited for a spot with more space and ended up with what Soulen describes as a very unique, warm, and inviting location with big windows and lots of light.
 
After acquiring the property, Soulen and Hattenburg worked on building out the space starting in November.
 
"We did everything ourselves from building racks to painting. Everything is custom-made," Soulen says.
 
The new project for the owners is to establish their e-commerce site to extend their sales to an international market.
 
 
Source: Jessica Soulen, co-owner of Hunting Ground
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

 Federal Hill's Blue Agave will have a different feel when it reopens later this week.
 
New owners took over the Mexican restaurant last month and are wrapping up renovations to the 2,500-square-foot space. The two-week renovations began last week and during that time the restaurant has been closed, General Manager Adam Pashkevich says.

As part of the changes, the restaurant plans to open up the space by tearing down some walls, and making the exterior more inviting for customers. The restaurant will get new floors, a complete bathroom renovation, and a new bar surface, Pashkevich says.

While the changes won’t expand the space, Pashkevich says he believes more open space will create a better experience for guests. There will also be more server stations for faster food delivery.

Some changes will happen on the menu, such as adding fajitas, taking away less popular items, and some lower prices on food items, but the restaurant will stay true to its original concept of authentic Mexican food. The restaurant will also be open daily instead of Tuesday through Sunday. To accommodate the changes, some new staff will be added to the restaurant’s current staff of 20.

The new management previously worked at Macky’s in Ocean City, and each member of the team brings over 10 years of restaurant experience, Pashkevich says.
 
Source: Adam Pashkevich, general manager
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 

Two local entrepreneurs want to bring the bounties of Maryland's farms to your neighborhood, maybe even your doorstep.
 
Here's the concept: Friends & Farms goes out and gets the freshest produce, meat, dairy, and seafood from farms and suppliers around the region. Then they divide it all into a basket that you pick up once a week from a designated location in your area. They also plan to provide direct delivery to homes, says co-founder Tim Hosking.
 
In the works since last fall, the venture will launch May 31 with the first basket pick-up in the week of June 4. The company will start in Howard County and plans to expand to locations as far north as Baltimore City and County, and as far south as Northern Virginia, Hosking says.
 
Baskets will include two proteins, a myriad of fruit and vegetables, milk and bread every week, and occasionally items like eggs, bacon, herbs and spices. The food will have been picked, baked, or harvested within 24 to 48 hours.
 
They are priced more along the lines of Giant as opposed to Whole Foods or a farmers' market, Hosking says.
 
Hosking says he thinks that quality, freshness, and price will differentiate Friends & Farms from other retailers and markets. Large baskets designed for a family of four will retail at $76, while smaller baskets for two will run at $51. 
 
The company recently leased a 4,500-square-foot office and warehouse space in Columbia as its distribution base. It currently employs four full-time employees with plans to hire additional part-time workers.
 
Hosking and co-founder Philip Gottwals have both worked in areas of community development, food and agriculture and finance. They are hoping to better connect busy, working people with high-quality, fresh foods straight from the farm and sea.
 
"We really want to work in the food system, and many aspects of it aren't functioning well, some may even say it’s broken. We are putting our money where our mouths are with this project," Hosking says.
 
Friends & Farms will host a launch event May 31 at Boordy Vineyards in Hydes.
 
Source: Tim Hosking, co-founder of Friends & Farms
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

The owners of a proposed BonChon Chicken in Ellicott City will go before the Howard County Liquor Board this week.
 
The 2,000 square-foot location at 3419 Plum Tree Drive is just off Route 40 and near near Serafino’s Italian Market and across from the Village Green Shopping Center.
 
The company specializes in Korean fried chicken, and currently has locations in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Virginia as well as locations abroad including Korea.
 
The hearing will be another step towards the restaurant's planed opening, which will mark the company's first location in Maryland.
 
Min Bros. Inc, applied for the license, and the hearing is planned for May 8 at 6:30 p.m., according to the liquor board.
 
A previous hearing was held for the proposed restaurant in March, but the liquor board asked for the company's attorney, Linda Carter, to make corrections to provide more information for the board, says liquor board administrator, Denise King.
 
The application has since been amended, King says.
 
Min Bros. Inc. hasn't yet signed a franchise contract with BonChon Chicken, says a franchise consultant at the company's New York Office, but they are in negotiations and plan to open the restaurant "soon."
 
Source:Denise King, Howard County Board Liquor Board administrator
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Opa! Baltimore's tony Harbor East neighborhood is getting another new restaurant this summer. 

Greek restaurant Ouzo Bay is opening at 1006 Lancaster St., the same building that houses Charleston. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant seat 140 inside and 70 outside, according to a liquor license application Alexander Smith filed in Baltimore City.

The owners will invest at least $500,000 to open the Ouzo Bay, according to the liquor license application. The restaurant will serve modern Greek specialties, with an emphasis on fresh seafood.

Harbor East is home to Cinghiale, Arhaus Furniture, White House|Black Market and the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore. The area is getting a slew of new retailers this summer, including Anthropologie, J. Crew, Lululemon and MAC Cosmetics. The area and surrounding neighborhood of Fells Point have attracted a number of new eateries within the last year, including Waterfront Kitchen, Wit and Wisdom Tavern, the Inn at the Black Olive and Bond Street Social.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Baltimore City liquor board

Two area theater organizations will have a new home in Columbia late this year. 

Construction on the new 10,000 square-foot Red Branch Theatre began last week, with approximately 40 community members attending its groundbreaking ceremony, says Ray Weiss, the theatre's publicist.
 
Red Branch Theatre Company, a theater company founded in 2008, and Drama Learning Center, a theater education organization, will both be housed at the new location near the intersection of Red Branch Road and Old Annapolis Road in Columbia.
 
The project is being financed by the Sanford Companies Inc. 
 
Owner and artistic director of Red Branch Theatre, Stephanie Lynn Williams, hopes the space will provide additional resources for the community of Howard County in the area of dramatic and performing arts.
 
Williams also owns Drama Learning Center, which offers year-round production and acting classes for youth from grades pre-K to 12.
 
The new space will include a 200-seat theater, a reception area, a backstage area, and two rehearsal spaces, Williams says.
 
With the expansion, the Drama Learning Center plans to hire additional teaching staff, and the theater company will hire a new technical director for the space, Williams says.
 
The space will also be available to rent, which will address the demand for performing arts space in Howard County, says Weiss.
 
 
Sources: Ray Weiss, publicist for Red Branch Theatre; Stephanie Lynn Williams, owner and artistic director of Red Branch Theatre.
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

You just might find that treasure you've been looking for this weekend at the opening of the Station North Flea Market.
 
The season opens Saturday, May and will run on the first Saturday of every month until October at the corner of Lafayette and Charles Streets in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

Previously the market was held on the unit block of East North Avenue, but the decision was made to relocate the market from a busy and loud location on North Avenue to an area better scaled for a flea market, says Ben Stone, executive director of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. 

One of the main goals of the market, Stone says, is to create a vibrant community event that engages locals, visitors, and artists alike. The market helps to build community for both older residents of Station North, as well as younger artists and students.  

This year, the flea market will commission some small, affordable pieces of artwork. The goal was to create a way for people to get quality art rather inexpensively, Stone says.
 
Other offerings include antiques, vintage clothes, crafts, and household items.
 
Stone expects at least one or two food trucks selling their culinary creations on-site.
 
If the weather is good, tours will be offered of the murals painted recently as part of the Open Walls Baltimore project. The opening of the flea market will also coincide with the opening of the Maryland Film Festival.
 
For vendors interested in participating in the flea market, the market is first-come, first-served. The cost is $20 and tables can be rented on site for $10.
 
Send an email to [email protected] to reserve a space in advance.
 
Source:  Ben Stone, executive director of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 
 

Highlandtown businesses want to offer you a seat outside this summer.
 
Six restaurants and businesses in the Highlandtown Merchants Association submitted applications to the city's zoning board this month for outdoor table seating. The move is an attempt by area businesses to boost sales and beautify their neighborhood with outdoor seating.
 
The applications for outdoor seating were part of a plan, two years in the making, to create a more inviting space for diners and shoppers in the area, says Jody Rosoff, treasurer of the Highlandtown Merchants Association and owner of Docs Smokeshop on Eastern Avenue. Rosoff wants outdoor seating in front her business. 
 
Other businesses that want to have outdoor seating include the Creative Alliance, Filippo's Pizzeria, Mi Viejo Pueblito, and Little Morocco Cafe.
 
Rosoff says that outdoor seating for restaurants and other businesses will add dimension to storefronts and create a more "charming" atmosphere. The tables will also invite guests to stay around to shop and dine.
 
The Highlandtown Merchants Association paid for the $250 initial permit fee per business to encourage businesses to participate in the outdoor seating campaign, Rosoff says.
 
But the total cost of having outdoor seating is likely an investment of several thousand dollars for the expense of the tables and additional yearly fees.There are 300 businesses that are part of Highlandtown Main Street. 
 
As part of the permitting process, each merchant had to present a document with the proposed outdoor seating in front of their business. Each business will go before the city’s zoning board to determine if the business will be allowed to have outdoor seating. The city’s zoning board has yet to set a hearing date on applications from merchants in Highlandtown.

The Creative Alliance was already putting together an application for outdoor seating when they were approached by the merchant's association. The performing arts venue wanted to add outdoor table service for its new restaurant project in partnership with Clementine. Clementine at Creative Alliance, a full restaurant, will open May 17, says Andre Mazelin, theatre and rental manager at the Creative Alliance. 
 
 
Sources: Jody Rosoff, treasurer of the Highlandtown Merchants Association and owner of Docs Smokeshop on Eastern Avenue.
Andre Mazelin, theatre and rental manager at the Creative Alliance. 
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 

One of Hamilton's best known restaurants is expanding to East Baltimore.
 
Clementine, the Hamilton restaurant focused on farm-to-table foods and meals will open a new location, Clementine at Creative Alliance May 17, says Clementine owner and chef Winston Blick.
 
The 49-seat bistro will be a slightly more upscale and 'downtown' version of Clementine in Hamilton, which does rustic comfort food, Blick says.
 
The restaurant will be a partnership between The Creative Alliance and Clementine, with Clementine managing the restaurant. The Creative Alliance built out the restaurant and recruited Clementine to fill the space, Blick says.
 
More than four years ago, both parties were interested in a partnership, but Blick thought the space was too small and Blick ended up opening Clementine in a space in Hamilton. Ironically, the restaurant is the same size as the original Clementine prior to its renovations two years ago, Blick says.
 
"The great thing about this is that we have the chance to do it again," Blick says.
 
As for the cooking duties, the current sous chef at Clementine, Jeremy Price, will take over as chef at the new location. Jill Snyder, formerly of Woodberry Kitchen and Top Chef season five contestant, will become the executive chef at Hamilton's Clementine, Blick says.
 
Blick says he's slightly removed himself from daily cooking to work on menus and bringing in fresh, local produce and meats for his restaurants from area farms.
 
Some of the farms that partner with Clementine include Prigel Family Creamery, The Zahradka Farm, and the Hamilton Crop Circle.
 
Blick's other venture, a market called Green Onion, will open this week or early next week up the street from Clementine in Hamilton. The market will carry local dairy products and meats, dry goods, and other locally made products like laundry detergents, jams, and jellies. The market will also bring in chefs such as Snyder to offer classes and workshops.

Blick told Bmore Media that the shop is a cross between Atwater's and Milk and Honey Market. 
 
Sources: Winston Blick, owner of Clementine
 
Andre Mazelin, theatre and rental manager at the Creative Alliance.
 
 
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Matt Lallo didn't plan on opening up a restaurant when he moved down to Baltimore from Philadelphia two years ago with his wife to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
 
But retired life didn't quite suit him.
 
"I don't golf," Lallo says.
 
After owning three restaurants in the Philadelphia area over his career, Lallo needed a project.
 
Lallo's fourth restaurant, the Blue Sage Cafe and Wine Bar, is expected to open June 1, pending the permitting process, at 1604 Kelly Ave. That's the former location of The Falls in Mt. Washington.
 
Lallo says his family used to have brunch at the Falls when they visited Baltimore and when the restaurant closed, he decided to look into leasing the space. He describes Mt. Washington as a very family-oriented area.
 
The cafe will feature a "pan-global" menu with craft beers, offering light breakfast with good coffee, in addition to a lunch and dinner, Lallo says.

He hopes to provide a neighborhood-based cafe that creates extraordinary food.
 
The 2,400-square-foot space reminds Lallo, he says, of a corner restaurant in Manhattan.
 
While the restaurant was pretty much move-in ready, Lallo says they rearranged it to give it a clean look. The restaurant also plans to hire at least 12 employees when they open.
 
In Philadelphia, Lallo operated the Purple Sage Cafe. He also served as the director of operations for Culinary Concepts Inc., a catering company. 
 
Source: Matt Lallo, owner of the Blue Sage Cafe and Wine Bar
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]

Shoppers at Columbia’s new Wegmans Food Markets won’t have to go far to find that perfect wine for their meal.  A new 9,800-square-foot liquor store will open on the second floor of the Wegmans building, the store’s owner says.

Upstairs Wine, Liquor & Beer hopes to cater to shoppers at the new grocery store by offering a “Wegmans-type” shopping experience for customers with a huge variety of wines, beers, and spirits from all over the world, Owner Mike Smith says.

The store’s emphasis, Smith says, will be on wine and craft beers, including some from Maryland.

“This store will definitely not be a typical strip center package store,” Smith says.

For Smith, the location near Wegmans is ideal as he hopes Wegmans' customers will look to his store for liquor to accompany food purchases.

If Smith’s liquor license application receives approval from the Howard County Liquor Board May 1, he plans to open Upstairs Wine, Liquor & Beer within six to eight weeks. Construction is still underway and most of the store’s 20 to 25 employees still need to be hired and trained.

Wegmans will open June 17 off Snowden River Parkway and McGaw Road in Columbia.

A lawyer and 20-year resident of Ellicott City, Smith says he has made his own wines and brewed his own beer for over 20 years.

“You might say that I’m trying to branch out professionally into another area that very much interests me,” Smith says.

The shop also plans to offer tasting and other educational events to inform customers about wine and beer to enhance their meals, Smith says.


Source: Mike Smith, owner of Upstairs Wine, Liquor & Beer
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 

Shoppers in the Inner Harbor will soon be able to satisfy their sweet tooth with treats like old school candy and chocolate shaped like crabs.
 
The Best of Luck Candy & Gifts, a specialty nostalgia candy and gift shop, will relocate May 1 from Harbor East to a larger location at 601 E. Pratt St. in the Power Plant entertainment complex, says owner Alexis "Lucky" Thompson.
 
In the new, approximately 900-square-foot location, the business will have double the space and plans to add a coffee bar in addition to new candies, gifts, custom gift baskets, and additional room for events such as birthday parties. Thompson also plans to offer more Baltimore-themed candy and gifts.
 
Thompson expects the new location will receive great visibility from both foot and car traffic.
 
Raised in Baltimore, Thompson says she always dreamed of owning a candy shop. She recently moved back to Baltimore with her husband after working in marketing in New York. The store opened at its previous location on 612 S. Exeter St. last October.
 
The store underwent a month of remodeling as part of a relaunching of the store's brand.
 
While the company has no plans for further expansion in the near future, they do plan to do more events such as bachelorette parties and showers. The company also recently added four new employees for the new shop, Thompson says.
 
Source: Alexis "Lucky" Thompson, owner of The Best of Luck Candy & Gifts
Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]
 
 

As the shopping complex readies for the opening of Maryland Live! Casino in June, new additions to Arundel Mills include Coach Men’s Factory and Kay Jewelers Outlet.
 
Coach Men’s Factory, which specializes in men's leather products, recently opened near the existing Coach Factory Store.
 
Kay Jewelers Outlet will open in a space near The Children's Place Outlet.
 
A newly remodeled Bath & Body Works store will open April 30, and Lane Bryant will relocate, says Gene Condon, general manager of Arundel Mills.

Maryland Live! Casino, slated to open early June, will feature slot machines and table games. Prominent restaurants inside the casino include The Cheesecake Factory, Phillips Seafood, and The Prime Rib.

In anticipation of the casino's opening, the mall will continue to focus on attracting name-brand retailers such as Coach and Kay Jewelers, Condon says. 

In addition, the mall has been working to improve the road network surrounding the mall and improving parking for the expected influx of guests, Condon says. 

 
Source: Gene Condon, general manager of Arundel Mills.
 Writer: Alexandra Wilding, [email protected]