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
The year 2000 saw Severna Park’s very first coffee shop opened by Deb Hoffman on Riggs Avenue in Olde Severna Park. Since that time, similar shops have come and gone. But now there’s a new kid on the block.
On Monday, February 19th, Rise Up Coffee Roasters opened its 13th location at the former Zachary’s Jewelers storefront next to Homestead Gardens at the corner of Ritchie Highway and Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. Rise Up’s banner now appears beneath the eye-catching Homestead Gardens sign and is perhaps a harbinger of things to come at other Homestead locations.
Interestingly, the new location (the fifth in Anne Arundel County) is the first Rise Up Coffee Roasters’ shop to offer a drive-in option. The company’s owner Brandon Bartlett was delighted to discover that, though unused by Zacharay’s Jeweler’s, the original drive-up window for the former Provident Bank still existed. It is now operable for drivers with a coffee menu posted on the wall in clear view. As of now, the food menu is available inside but is not posted outdoors.
The new drive-up window should prove a hit with customers too busy to come into the shop. 
A menu of hot, cold and frozen coffees is posted near the window.
More about Rise Up Coffee later but, first, let’s go back to January 1, 2000 when Deb Hoffman pioneered the local coffee shop movement.
After selling her interest in a toy design company, Hoffman opened The Big Bean, the first specialty bean coffee shop in Severna Park. She’d thought of buying an existing coffee business but instead chose the aforementioned space on Riggs Avenue and B & A Boulevard. Business boomed at the tiny store as Hoffman and her first barista, Christy Sappington Coster served coffee, muffins and other delights to an ever-increasing clientele. Five year later, expansion was essential.
In 2005, the enterprise relocated nearby to 558 Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard in Olde Severna Park. Then, as now, The Big Bean was a neighborhood haven geared to customer service. Fronting on B&A Boulevard, customers would be lined up at the door as early as 7 am for their morning cuppa.
However, the shop’s back entrance spilled out onto the B&A Trail where wrought iron tables and chairs awaited trail users and their canine companions, then as now. Dogs could have some cool water or munch a “Doggie Biscotti” while their masters enjoyed their favorite coffee beverages along with bakery items or a cup of yogurt.
In between 2000 and 2005 when Hoffman moved The Big Bean to its second location on B&A Boulevard, other shops came along.
In 2003, entrepreneur Corky Gilbert decided the time was right for a coffee shop at Park Plaza off Ritchie Highway. That October, he opened Corky’s Hard Bean Cafe. The attractive cafe had a bistro-like ambience with comfortable couches, classic tables and chairs, and revolving art exhibits on the walls. It’s trompe l’oeil library was a popular spot for community and business meetings.
As the business matured, the establishment served full breakfast and lunch menus. There were even occasional concerts held in the evenings.
Soon after Hoffman vacated the shop where she started on Riggs Avenue, newcomer Aivy’s Corner Espress Cafe took over the location. Owners Aina and Joe Tsin created a niche for the quaint little shop by offering exquisite pastries from their renowned restaurant Moulin de Paris then located off Benfield Road.
Aivy’s was just around the corner from the B&A Trail and Hatton-Regester Green, so it was not uncommon to see someone on a park bench enjoying one of their coffees.
“This shop was the perfect place to highlight our fresh bakery products on this end of town,” Aina said at the time.
In November of 2005, Severna Perk opened on the Benfield Road corridor between I-97 and Ritchie Highway making a total of four specialty coffee shops town.
Traditional in style, with dark woods, comfortable tables and chairs, and striking photos on the walls, the shop was unique in several ways.
Its owner Kaely Roe was 21 years old, having worked for City Dock Cafe and Waterman Joe’s.
The breakfast-oriented shop welcomed its patrons with traditional coffee beverages and muffins, scones and decadent strawberry cheesecake. Chocolate croissants were baked fresh each morning so they’d be warm when customers purchased them.
Sadly, within a few years, three of the four specialty coffee shops had closed their doors. However, The Big Bean was thriving, growing busier and busier and becoming a community hub.
In 2010, two interesting developments impacted Severna Park’s coffee scene. In May of that year, Starbucks opened at 503 Ritchie Highway with a Friends and Family celebration that drew a huge crowd. According to then Patch editor Leslie Hunt, the festive evening was capped off by the presentation of a $30,000 donation to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation by manager Marc Tippin.
Starbucks quickly became a popular destination, with its drive-up window busy at all hours of the day. The spacious interior was a popular place for friends to get together and for meetings. Among other groups the Severna Park Chess Club was fond of holding its weekly matches at the shop.
On September 10th of 2010, Mutt & Joe, a combination coffee shop and pet grooming service, was opened by Andy Smull in the space formerly occupied by Severna Perk. One side of the sign over the entrance cleverly says “Drink Coffee” while the other side says “Dog Wash”.
Having celebrated Mutt & Joe’s 10th Anniversary in 2020, Smull and staff are still providing pups with mighty fine haircuts while their humans enjoy coffee and a treat.
On January 1, 2019, The Big Bean came full circle as Deb Hoffman agreed to sell the shop to her original barista Christy Sappington Coster and her husband Greg.
“Almost from the time I became Deb’s barista at that tiny shop on Riggs Avenue, I dreamed of becoming its owner,” Christie said.
The dream realized, the Costers had a very successful first year as owners. Moving forward into 2020, they found themselves, like other local businesses, facing the Covid pandemic. Through their innovative approaches and the continued dedication of their loyal customers, they survived. In fact, they did so well with The Big Bean’s beloved home in Severna Park that they expanded to a second location at 888 Bestgate Road in Annapolis. That location has also been a success and Greg and Christie are now in the process of expanding to a third location in Millersville on Nojales Road.
“We’ve already received some of the equipment we ordered and our permits. So our target for opening The Big Bean in Millersville is late Spring,” Christie said. “We’ll be keeping everyone posted.”
Getting back to the recent opening of Rise Up Coffee Roasters and their serendipitous association with Homestead Gardens Severna Park, we had an opportunity to speak to Homestead’s owner Brian Riddle who told us how it came about.
“At the time of the Covid pandemic, I briefly considered the possibility of expanding our store into the then vacant space previously occupied by Zachary’s Jewelers. But I felt the return wouldn’t be worthwhile,” Riddle said. “Since we lease the Homestead Gardens Severna Park location, I then pondered whether we could sublease the empty space to another business.”
Riddle mentioned that thought to friend John Rosso of Rosso Commercial Real Estate Services who put him in touch with Rise Up Coffee Roasters owner Brandon Bartlett who found the empty space ideal.
“I already was familiar with Rise Up Coffee and liked the way they operate their businesses so we moved ahead,” said Riddle.
The arrangement should prove beneficial to both owners. Riddle added that he would definitely consider the possibility of adding a Rise Up Coffee Roasters shop to Homestead’s other locations in Davidsonville and Smyrna, Delaware.
Good Neighbors Group S(o)uper Bowl Record Broken
As founder of Good Neighbors Group, Julie Shay was thrilled that S(ouper Bowl VII broke records this year. She wished to extend a thank-you to everyone who took part in the food drive.
Seventy-one neighborhoods participated collecting 1,939 lbs. of food for the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and six local food pantries.
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.
