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🍦New favorites and tough goodbyes

🍦New favorites and tough goodbyes

No more gas lead blowers, New Year’s resolution fitness options, budgets, budgets, budgets. . .

Naptown Scoop
January 02, 2025

Good morning, Annapolis. Happy last night of Hanukkah to all Scoop readers who celebrate. And Happy New Year to all Scoop readers!

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

No more gas leaf blowers
New Year’s Resolution fitness options
Budgets, budgets, budgets

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins, & Ryan Sneddon

Finding new favorites and saying tough goodbyes

One of the main reasons I started Naptown Scoop over four years ago (wow, how time flies) was to keep up with what businesses were opening and closing. It’s also turned out to be one of your favorite parts of Scoop. So here’s a quick (aka non-comprehensive) look back at what happened around Anne Arundel County’s small (and not so small) business world in 2024.

P.S. We don’t have room to link all businesses or include addresses. If it sounds interesting, please Google it!

Fresh starts and closing chapters

New businesses

Chessie’s Wharf - MD brewery RAR’s first Annapolis taproom
Timber Pizza - Wildly popular, locally-owned pizza
Seasalt - Fresh seafood, local ingredients, and craft cocktails in the old Fado spot
*Sailor Oyster Bar - Not technically new, but beautifully reimagined after a tragic fire in the summer of 2022. Well worth a visit.
Pearl - Adventurous yet approachable dining in the heart of downtown Annapolis
Ponche - A rad tiki bar right above Pearl
Urbano - Delicious Mexican food at Annapolis Town Center
Toastique - Craft toast sandwiches also at Annapolis Town Center
Kendra Scott - Jewelry also at ATC
Honeygrow - Stir fry bowls
Moby Dick House of Kebab - Kebabs, duh. . .
X-Golf - indoor golf and the official second office of Naptown Scoop
Bloomstone Jewelers - Lab-grown diamonds from Constance Polamalu
InGrano West Annapolis - Full-service dining from the lunch and coffee favorite
Mason Mayes - Beautiful women’s clothing. Perfect for Annapolis’ casual yet stylish signature looks
Cotton Company - Downtown Annapolis’ menswear headquarters. Fantastic heritage brands like Patagonia, Yeti, Filson, Faherty, and more.
Life Time Pickleball - Annapolis Town Center’s premium gym doubled its square footage and added 11 indoor pickleball courts after Bed Bath and Beyond closed.
Rowan - Piercing done by nurses

Closing businesses

Mission BBQ (downtown) – To be replaced by a TBD Atlas Restaurant Group concept
Shades on the Bay – Sunglass shop
Pusser’s – Being replaced by 2 Atlas Restaurant Group concepts but reopening in Baltimore.
The Leader
Annapolis Bridal & Tuxedo
TropQ Pizza
Jimmy Johns - Replaced by Capo Deli
Vitola 121 - Cigars
Moe’s – Being replaced by Blowfish Poke
Park Home in Severna Park

Perhaps the biggest business story of the year is the sale of Annapolis Mall. A small group of investors bought the mall from Westfield and have big plans. They’ve already revealed new major tenants like Dick’s House of Sport (the Housley Road Dick’s will stay open) and Hobby Lobby.

We can’t wait to see what 2025 brings. Fingers crossed for a Milkshake Factory. . .

THE DIGEST

New Year’s resolutions — guess who? 🤔

Some may call New Year’s resolutions “boring.” But at Scoop, we’re making the tradition fun with a “Guess Who” game. Take your best guess at which team member said what. Answers below.

“Perform more random acts of kindness . . . it's something I always want to make a conscious effort to do.”
“Spend more time with my family off the grid, including backcountry camping trips.”
“I don’t do resolutions.”
“Cook one new recipe each week. I’m excited to try new dishes and expand my cooking skills this year!”
“Be more organized and embrace a digital-only calendar.”
“Always look on the bright side of life — be positive, fun, and in the moment.”

⚠️ Answers ⚠️

Dylan
Duffy
Ryan
Elle
Lauren
Mike

Imagination Library for Annapolis 📚

Imagine this. You’re a kid, and a surprise book arrives each. If you live in Annapolis (zip codes: 21401, 21402, 21403), you don’t have to imagine. It’s real. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails free, high-quality books to kids from birth to age 5, no matter their family’s income. They have gifted more than 26M books to date! Register today and happy reading!

Honey, did you gas up plug in the leaf blower? 🍂

Things we’re leaving in 2024: gas-powered leaf blowers and plastic bags. Annapolis City Council passed bans on these two items that take effect this month. The ban on gas-powered leaf blowers took effect yesterday (Jan 1), but you won’t get a fine until April 1 (no joke) — by then, the city expects to have a voucher program for discounts on electric leaf blowers. 🍁

As for plastic bags, businesses won’t be issuing them with your purchases come Jan 22. You’ll either need to bring a reusable bag or cough up 10 cents for a paper bag. 🛍 Keep an eye out for city-organized programs to distribute reusable bags in the near future.

In other news: County Executive Steuart Pittman signed an executive order shortly before Christmas prohibiting the Anne Arundel county government from buying or using gas leaf blowers starting in 2030. Plastic bags were already outlawed in Anne Arundel County, but not the City of Annapolis. ($)

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LOCAL BUSINESS

New Year’s resolution fitness options 🏃‍♂️

Got a health-focused New Year’s resolution? Start 2025 strong with these fun ways to get fit!

🧘Yoga Factory: Whether you’re a novice or a yogi extraordinaire, Yoga Factory’s private lessons are the perfect way to build skills, center yourself, and get a great workout. Buy one for $125 or a 4-pack for $450. You can also book a class. Visit their Annapolis (1901 West Street) or Crofton (1119 MD-3) studios.

🥊 Rise Fitness & Kickboxing: Kickboxing is a kick*ss workout. But Rise also has open gym for “regular” workouts. Members have 24-hour access so there’s no excuse for missing a workout – 1927 Lincoln Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401

🥒 Life Time Annapolis: Last year, we made a racket about pickleball. Not much has changed — it’s still such a big dill that Life Time built 11 tournament-quality indoor pickleball courts. Don’t forget about their cardio/strength equipment, lap pool, and those fancy new massage chairs. — 200 Harker Place, Annapolis, MD

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Weekend Preview

After a busy holiday season, who else wants needs a low key weekend? 🙋‍♀️

Thursday

🎶 Jingle Jam with Ms. Mandy: Newborns through kindergarteners participate at their own level in singing, moving, or exploring musical instruments. Bring the whole fam to the Severna Park Community Center. Sessions run at 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Costs range from free (siblings under 8 months) to $20. Register.

Friday and Saturday

🚂 Marley Station Mall Train Garden: The magical train garden remains open on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4 during mall hours: 9 AM to 9 PM on both days.

Saturday

🎶 Music and Movement: Kids get to sing, chant, play instruments, and dance, while exploring sounds, rhythms, and patterns that make up our language. Visit Eastport-Annapolis Neck Library or Severna Park Library from 10—10:30 AM.

Sunday

🥖 ☕️ Anne Arundel County Farmers Market: Open again, 9 AM to noon, at 275 Harry S. Truman Pkwy in Annapolis.

Annapolis Irish Festival: Band Announcement 🇮🇪 🥁 ☘️

We may be biased . . . but the Irish know how to party better than anyone else. The Annapolis Irish Festival returns in 2025 — and it’s now a two-day celebration at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds. Expect lots of ways to wet your whistle, tasty foods, axe throwing, Highland games, and a Kids Zone. And here are the bands:

Friday, May 2

Dublin 5 (Scoop’s all-time favorite local band)
Carbon Leaf

Saturday, May 3

Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes & Drums
Hold Fast
Poehemia
SYR
The High Kings

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

CIVIL NEWS

2026 AACPS operating budget 💰

The AACPS FY2026 school budget is nearly $1.8 billion (about an 8% increase from this year). The top 3 priorities:

Early literacy: Expanding PreK programs.
Special education: Students with special needs has grown 17% since 2020, prompting plans to add 155 positions.
Bilingual learning: A 38% increase in multilingual learners since 2020 will lead to 18 new teachers and 2 personnel workers.

Explore the full proposal, including budget breakdowns.

The board will review the plan and gather public feedback. Attend hearings on January 7 at Severn Run High School or January 9 in the Parham Building’s Board Room in Annapolis, both at 6 PM. The board plans to vote on the final budget in February.

P.S. Parents, please note that the school system will no longer offer some summer and specialty camps for free due to the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds. ($)

Budget town halls

It’s that time of year again: time to start thinking about next year’s budget. County Executive Steuart Pittman and the County Council want to know what your priorities are for FY26. Mark your calendar for the town hall meeting within your county district. Town halls are 6–8 PM on the following dates:

💵 January 16: District 5 at Severna Park High
💵 February 4: District 6 at Annapolis High
💵 January 23: District 7 at Southern High
💵 February 5: County-wide virtual meeting

Be sure to register ahead of time and access the budget testimony toolkit for more info.

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WEATHER

Thursday

41 🌡️ 29 | 🌤️ | 0% | WNW 16 mph (13 knots)

Friday

42 🌡️ 26 | 🌦️ | 41% | 💨 WSW 10 mph (9 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 43ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

Thursday

Friday

SPORTS

Annapolis Blues FC joins USL League Two ⚽️

2025 is starting off with some big news from Annapolis Blues FC — the men’s team is joining the United Soccer League’s League Two during this upcoming summer season. The Blues have grown a lot since launching in 2022, and this move is a great step forward. As part of the Chesapeake Division, the Annapolis Blues will still play home games at Navy Stadium. Season tickets get you into every game and a whole bunch of other goodies.

Navy wins out-of-town Armed Forces Bowl, ECU wins in-town Military Bowl 🏈

Before last Friday, Navy hadn’t been to a bowl game since 2019. But this year’s team was just built different. So even though they went down 14–0 in the first quarter against Oklahoma during last week’s Armed Forces Bowl, they never quit. After 21 unanswered points to take the lead, our Mids sacked Oklahoma’s QB on what would have been the winning 2-point conversion to become just the sixth football team in USNA history to notch double-digit wins in a season.

Mike James of The Mid Report and Rivals.com breaks it all down with Capital Gazette writer Bill Wagner in our latest Anchors Aweigh Podcast. Bill also discussed the game with former Navy football stars Keenan Reynolds and Eric Kettani on our Navy Football Podcast.

Closer to home, ECU edged NC State 26–21 in the Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Even though it was a good game, the post-game brawl stole most of the headlines – including this one.

Upcoming Navy games & matches

Women's Basketball (8-3)
1/2 @ American | 7 PM

Men's Basketball (3-10)
1/2 vs. American | 7 PM

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THANKS!

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with the person who gave you your favorite present.