AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
Over the past couple months, a couple of new businesses have opened in Severna Park. The newest is the Tropical Smoothie Cafe which opened at 366 Ritchie Highway in the former Mariner Bank building.
Reimagined, the building is home to the area’s second Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise following an extensive renovation. The franchise for the new cafe is held by Sandip Patel who currently operates the other Tropical Smoothie Cafe at 8000 Jumper’s Hole Road in Pasadena. It now features a bright, modernistic interior with a tropical vibe.
The idea behind Tropical Smoothie Cafes is to make eating better easy with fresh, made-to-order smoothies, wraps, flatbreads and quesadillas that instantly boost your mood.
Severna Park recently bid a fond farewell to Clement Hardware after five decades as a family business while, at the same time, welcoming its successor. In March, owner Gordon Clement sold the business to friend, former customer and family business owner Rick Miller in one of the most seamless and amicable business transactions we’ve ever seen.
By the beginning of April, Miller had taken over the business. We met with both of them and learned that Clement will stay involved in his already existing real estate business.
New owner Rick Miller received a welcoming handshake from former owner Gordon Clement. 
For the first time, Miller drove the new Park Hardware truck in the Severna Park Independence Day Parade.
Miller, who has renamed the store Park Hardware, maintained the staff and services of Clement Hardware but is updating and transforming the interior. For the first time, he entered the Park Hardware truck in the Severna Park Independence Day parade along with one from the fourth-generation family business Zeskind’s of which he is also a part.
Sadly, we’ve had to say goodbye to some of our favorite shopkeepers this year. We’ll miss their friendly faces.
April 1 was the final day of operation for Cakes and Confections Bakery Cafe. It was always such fun to chat with amiable owner and chef Michael Brown while trying to decide which yummy sweets to buy. We also had a great time meeting friends for lunch in the cafe where the quiches were superb. For 12 years Michael and Julienne Brown operated Cakes and Confections from their original location in Annapolis before moving to Severna Park in 2014. The family bakery had a wonderful customer base but, after 22 years the Browns decided it was time to retire. We wish them well.
More recently, Lisa Edelman Schneiderman and husband Glen announced that they were retiring from creating and marketing their custom pops and closing the Lisa’s Cakepops storefront off Ritchie Highway to move to Florida where most of their family lives.
Having started making cakepops in her California kitchen, sharing them with friends and then marketing them, Lisa saw her business take off after moving to Severna Park. We’d see her displaying her fabulous pops at almost every community event. After adding an e-commerce element, Lisa’s Cakepops expanded dramatically. Lisa and Glen finally fulfilled a dream of hers by opening their storefront with its commercial kitchen. By the beginning of 2023, they were producing thousands of cakepops for catalog companies along with their regular business.
An official goodbye party was held for the couple at the storefront by the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber on June 29th.
A well-known local business has plans to take over the storefront/commercial kitchen’s lease and sublease it to different bakers. We’ll have more on this in an upcoming column.
Area shoppers, DIY types and antiques collectors definitely miss stopping by the Red Apron Shoppe where owners Mary Ann and Cam Neal could often be found. While not entirely gone from the scene thanks to their primary business Red Apron Estate Sales, the pair was sorry to leave the shop behind. However, a substantial increase in rent for the property made the cost of doing business there unsustainable.
In addition to filling the Red Apron Shoppe with a mix of contemporary pieces, vintage finds, and collections of China, glassware and furnishings gleaned from the estate sales they handle, the Neal’s also tried to bring back the neighborhood feel Severna Park was known for by selling penny candy for kids, homemade breads from local bakers, eggs from local farms, and crafts from local crafters. We understand that the Neals are looking for a new location for the shop though it may not be in Severna Park. Meantime, they’re offering shop items through their website.
Another long-time Severna Park business, Kirsten’s Cakery, also closed its doors in May. Owner Kirsten Klein opened her original shop at Park Plaza in 2011 but reopened Kirsten’s Cakery at its new location at 541 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in Olde Severna Park in March of 2016. For over a decade, locals would meet Klein at the numerous community events she’d participate in where the Cakery’s truffles were always a hit.
We’ve been unable to reach Kline to determine if she’ll be retiring for a while to spend time with her family or moving on.
Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce CEO Liz League noted that there are few new businesses opening due to the high costs associated with launching a new enterprise. However, a number of businesses are celebrating anniversaries.
“The chamber will be doing a ribbon cutting for the grand openings of the new businesses Atlantic Blue Water Service and The Sheridan in Severna Park assisted living community. Those celebrating anniversaries include Healing Paws Veterinary Wellness Center and Delmarva Financial Group,” League said.
She added that a new indoor pickle ball facility will open this fall. Though called The PutAway of Severna Park, it will actually be located on Nogales Road in Millersville.
According to business publication WIX.com, there was an 11.2% increase in producer prices from a year ago meaning businesses and consumers face a similar problem. Who will absorb the rising costs of supplies?
Amid inflation, small businesses hesitating to raise their prices must pay that difference themselves or be forced to transfer some of those costs over to customers, potentially losing loyal clients in the process.
A 2022 Goldman Sachs survey found that 91% of small business owners already struggled with the current economy’s impact on their industries, and 56% said the situation worsened since the beginning of 2023, painting a bleaker picture for the coming months.
Hopefully, area residents’ efforts to SHOP LOCAL will insulate our small independent merchants from the high costs of doing business.
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church receives environmental award
We just received word from Karen Royer that Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church has been awarded one of the five Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Sustainability Leadership Awards for 2023.
Woods Church’s environmental achievements include reducing energy usage by more than 50%, capturing storm water runoff from rooftops and paved surfaces in rain gardens and wooded areas, planting over 1000 native trees, shrubs and perennials, restoring the habitat for a variety of birds, wildlife and pollinators and refurbishing 500 sanctuary chairs for donation to other congregations in Baltimore, Delaware and North Carolina.
We were unable to report the float contest winners last week as they’d yet to be released. Luckily, we have a few of them down
Severna Park Independence Day Parade float winners
There were many wonderful parade entries and floats including the most patriotic entry – the massive Nathan McDavitt Memorial Flag. However, we’ve chosen to feature the four “Bests”.
Voted the Best Overall Float was the Linstead on the Severn community float with its well-crafted Blue Heron
The Best Overall Theme award went to Orphan Grain Train which perfectly conveyed the parade’s theme, “Bold Stripes, Bright Stars, Brave Hearts.
Linsstead on the Severn was the Best Overall Float winner 
Orphan Grain Train won Best Overall Theme
The Best Commercial Float winner was Homestead Gardens 50th Anniversary Float while the Olde Severna Park community took Best Community Float prize.
Homestead Gardens won Best Commerical Float. 
Olde Severna Park won Best Community Float.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
