New Beginnings

A bit of purely light-hearted fun this morning. I need some and I’ll bet you do, too. 

There’s a new business opening in the old Cheeburger Cheeburger space. It’s called Neo Pizza & Taphouse. You can checkout their page on Facebook and their website. It looks like they will be doing fundraiser nights for area groups, just as their predecessor did. That’s good news for local PTAs and area non-profits.

I really know nothing about them, but, after a look at their menu, I’m eager to try their salads. They’re not the same-old, same-old. From their Facebook page:

The best artisan pizza in Columbia. Handcrafted delicious food and a wide selection of Self Serve craft beers in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Food to go, Happy Hour Specials. Subs, Sandwiches, Wraps, and more. N.E.O. Never. Expect. Ordinary.

Self-serve beer? Hmm.

Neo is not a part of a national chain. There are exactly four so far: Annapolis, Bel Air, Mount Vernon Marketplace, and Columbia. I’d suggest you go here to learn more but you’d have to have an extemely high tolerance for reading narrative text

One

Word

At

A

Time.

It looks like owner Leho Poldmae also owns the Green Turtle. Wait, isn’t there a Green Turtle right next door to the new Columbia location? Interesting.

Something else I’m excited about is the opening of the newest venture from Lee Andersen at ManniqArt: DoodleHATCH. Oh, my goodness, this is the first thing that has made me want to leave the house in months.

DoodleHATCH is a one-of-a kind destination for kids, adults who wish they were kids, and visitors seeking something new and different to do.

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A pretend store for the mythical creatures of fairy tales, ghost tales, and other worlds, it is an interactive walk through fantasy realms. Stop at the fairy village, visit the hobbit house, and check into the Dead and Breakfast.

They are open by appointment right now to ensure appropriate physical distancing. Wondering about the cost? It’s ten cents an inch: get measured to find out. I did an approximate calculation of mine and it’s quite reasonable. For those of you who remember the visioning work done in Long Reach to reimagine the Long Reach Village Center, this new attraction fits right in. 

Opening businesses in the midst of such uncertainty is a big risk. Neither one of these has the backing of big national chains, so, if we want them to get off the ground, we’ll have to support them. If you have kids, or, even if you don’t, both look like they will be worth a visit. 

If I find myself attending a restaurant night for DoodleHATCH (yes, it’s a 501(c) (3) nonprofit) at Neo Pizza some time in the next year I will award myself cool points for my prescience.