New Businesses Coming to Southern Maryland

[Restitution]

Where should I take my cats for fun?

I am talking about boarding houses, cat/dog spas, etc. How many of those do we have locally? (Apparently there will be yet another one coming...) but.... how many skating rinks, arcades, indoor play places do we have for children around here?

 

[glhs837]

I am talking about boarding houses, cat/dog spas, etc. How many of those do we have locally? (Apparently there will be yet another one coming...) but.... how many skating rinks, arcades, indoor play places do we have for children around here?

Well, people keep making them, and people keep not patronizing them..... who is to blame for that? How much traffic does Leonard Hall skating get? It's the market, if you can't make money at it, you can't keep it open.

 

[Restitution]

Well, people keep making them, and people keep not patronizing them..... who is to blame for that? How much traffic does Leonard Hall skating get? It's the market, if you can't make money at it, you can't keep it open.

I agree and that is the point I am making. People are willing to spend cash and time to do these lavish things with their pets obviously but, not with their children???

Pathetic!!!

 

[glhs837]

I agree and that is the point I am making. People are willing to spend cash and time to do these lavish things with their pets obviously but, not with their children???

Pathetic!!!

Maybe they are doing things that don't require such places? And perhaps those with pets have slightly more disposable income than those with kids?

 

[fatratcat]

Well, people keep making them, and people keep not patronizing them..... who is to blame for that? How much traffic does Leonard Hall skating get? It's the market, if you can't make money at it, you can't keep it open.

Most of the attempts were low budget and poorly managed. For example, the "bounce house" place was dirty and poorly supervised. I just trucked my kid 80 miles to a trampoline place. It was packed, clean, and the revenue side was well managed. There's no reason one wouldn't work in the county.

 

[TGB]

Vacant Food Lion grocery store + Amish = Profitable Amish Market. Just saying... It worked in Upper Marlboro.

I love that idea.

 

[GWguy]

Vacant Food Lion grocery store + Amish = Profitable Amish Market. Just saying... It worked in Upper Marlboro.

Very good thought, the one in Upper Marlboro is always busy.

I'd like to see the Farmer's Market in the BAE parking lot move inside to an abandoned K-Mart, and share it with the Amish. Vendors wouldn't have to set up in the rain, could even expand the number of days a week in the summer, wouldn't have to close for the winter. I've seen this done at a place up on Long Island with terrific success. Yes, I realize there are obstacles... insurance, liability, cost of heat/cooling/lights.....nothing that can't be addressed.

 

[Clem72]

I'd like to see the Farmer's Market in the BAE parking lot move inside to an abandoned K-Mart, and share it with the Amish. Vendors wouldn't have to set up in the rain, could even expand the number of days a week in the summer, wouldn't have to close for the winter. I've seen this done at a place up on Long Island with terrific success. Yes, I realize there are obstacles... insurance, liability, cost of heat/cooling/lights.....nothing that can't be addressed.

That sounds like a good idea, though you know the higher margin vendors would probably end up pushing the farmers out and turning into another Bargain Barn.

 

[RoseRed]

Most of the attempts were low budget and poorly managed. For example, the "bounce house" place was dirty and poorly supervised. I just trucked my kid 80 miles to a trampoline place. It was packed, clean, and the revenue side was well managed. There's no reason one wouldn't work in the county.

http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/gymnastics.asp

 

[GWguy]

That sounds like a good idea, though you know the higher margin vendors would probably end up pushing the farmers out and turning into another Bargain Barn.

I don't see that happening. Like the current Farmer's Market, you must actually produce something, not just make or sell junk. All vendors would be paying a small fee to set up, and in a place like K-Mart, there is room for everyone.

 

[Clem72]

I agree and that is the point I am making. People are willing to spend cash and time to do these lavish things with their pets obviously but, not with their children???

Pathetic!!!

Operative words, spending time with their pets. Evertrime a business bothers cater to kids around here you end up with unsupervised hoodlums hanging around all day as their parents treat it like a daycare.

 

[Clem72]

I don't see that happening. Like the current Farmer's Market, you must actually produce something, not just make or sell junk. All vendors would be paying a small fee to set up, and in a place like K-Mart, there is room for everyone.

Maybe. Guess it depends on if the owner wants to keep it a farmer's market, or would rather rent space to the highest bidder.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

I am talking about boarding houses, cat/dog spas, etc. How many of those do we have locally? (Apparently there will be yet another one coming...) but.... how many skating rinks, arcades, indoor play places do we have for children around here?

Don't pay much attention anymore, but I'm guessing not many. Back in the 80's there was the Skate Station and the bowling alley/arcade. A lot of us teens would go to one or the other just to have something to do. The Skate Station started off okay, but as time went by it became a place to deal drugs; 4 or 5 guys would go into the bathroom together and walk out together fidgeting and fumbling to hide their stash they just bought. It just wasn't the guys doin' that either.....

 

[GWguy]

Maybe. Guess it depends on if the owner wants to keep it a farmer's market, or would rather rent space to the highest bidder.

A possibility.

 

[terbear1225]

Well, people keep making them, and people keep not patronizing them..... who is to blame for that? How much traffic does Leonard Hall skating get? It's the market, if you can't make money at it, you can't keep it open.

at least some of that is marketing. I might take my kids to Leonard hall if I ever remembered it was there. And I drive by every day! A bit more marketing would certainly pay off for them.

 

[Restitution]

Evertrime a business bothers cater to kids around here you end up with unsupervised hoodlums hanging around all day as their parents treat it like a daycare.

Exactly where are you going or where have you been where daycare aged children are being left unattended and unsupervised? Isn't that against the law to just drop your 4 year old off at a play place and walk away?

Nothing you can do about children of age to do these things on their own and without parental supervision. Except, enforce some form of loitering policy or law.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Vacant Food Lion grocery store + Amish = Profitable Amish Market. Just saying... It worked in Upper Marlboro.

With that, and it's a good idea, the problem wouldn't be a demand one but a supply one. My sense is that the local Amish are pretty stretched just keeping up with demand now without adding another outlet.

I don't see that happening. Like the current Farmer's Market, you must actually produce something, not just make or sell junk. All vendors would be paying a small fee to set up, and in a place like K-Mart, there is room for everyone.

That is where the market management comes into play. In order to get and keep MD Department of Agriculture support (which ties you into advertising and promotion as well as grant funding) it has to remain a producer's market, not a reseller's market.

 

[getbent]

Exactly where are you going or where have you been where daycare aged children are being left unattended and unsupervised? Isn't that against the law to just drop your 4 year old off at a play place and walk away?

Nothing you can do about children of age to do these things on their own and without parental supervision. Except, enforce some form of loitering policy or law.

I don't think Clem means daycare aged kids. I read it as parents feel it's the responsibility of the staff to supervise the kids, whether parents are there or not. The kids tend to run around, become rude, inconsiderate, etc and it creates an environment where no one wants to return.

 

[Chrystee]

Did they have Go-Go concerts at the hotel location? Is Go-Go a Caribbean thing? thought that DC guy that died a couple years back made it a thing?

Not at all.. but they had a punk show there too.
I'm wondering why they bought the other place? I haven't heard good things, and we had a terrible experience ourselves.. can't believe they have money to move this many times?

 

[fatratcat]

"With that, and it's a good idea, the problem wouldn't be a demand one but a supply one. My sense is that the local Amish are pretty stretched just keeping up with demand now without adding another outlet."

Not a bad business problem to have...too much demand for your products. I'm sure the Amish could build capacity enough to centralize into a single location in an old Food Lion. That business model is proven and very likely to succeed. The Amish community is growing with many in PA and other places looking for places to raise their families. Since they usually make good neighbors, it might be a smart idea to give them a leg up in St. Mary's.