Archive for the ‘Merchant of the Month’ Category
Back on February 2, when Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter weather, he certainly wasn’t kidding! The Maryland area received record snowfalls in February, and many people are wondering if spring will ever come and taking bets on when those large snow piles in area parking lots will finally melt. Spring is, in fact, just around the corner, and soon you will be thinking about planting annuals and vegetables, fertilizing your lawn, and sprucing up your garden. If you want to stay ahead of the game and enjoy a lush lawn and garden this summer, look no further than our merchants of the month!
Longwood Gardens, located at 5405 Leonardtown Road in Waldorf, MD, has been in business since 1982. Owned by Steve Golding and his sister-in-law Joanne Golding, Longwood is a fully-stocked nursery that offers landscaping design and installation. The seven-acre nursery carries a large variety of trees, shrubs, bedding plants, annuals and perennials, along with garden chemicals, fertilizers, bulk and bagged products, rocks, landscaping materials, and ponds. Longwood’s landscaping crews install and maintain custom gardens, patios, retaining walls, or ponds. Nursery hours vary with the seasons, but for the month of March, Longwood will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and 9 AM to 3 PM on Sundays. Hours and coupons are available at their web site, www.longwoodgardens.com. You can reach them by phone at (301)645-4047.
Nicholson Nursery, LLC, is owned and operated by Mark Nicholson, Sr. Mark grew up working in a family-owned landscape company and started his own landscaping business at the age of 18, planning and designing gardens in the Chevy Chase, Georgetown, Bethesda, and Washington, DC areas. After raising his family, he relocated to Tracy’s Landing, MD, where he started his own nursery under the name of Friendship Gardens, changing the name to Nicholson Nursery last month due to the large amount of nursery stock carried by the business. Nicholson Nursery, located at 27 Deale Road in Tracy’s Landing, carries a full line of nursery stock, hardgoods, mulch, and seasonal items. The phone number is (410)867-3333.
For a beautiful lawn and garden, contact one of our merchants today!
In today’s rushed world, a haircut appointment can be very relaxing. You are able to spend some time sitting in a comfortable chair, enjoying a bit of “down time” while the stylist offers a warm shampoo treatment, then brushes, combs, clips, gently tugs, and dries your hair. While a haircut is one of those necessary things in life, an hour with your hairstylist is often like a visit with a good friend – especially if you get your locks trimmed at Cuttin Loose!
Located at 12100 Charles Street in La Plata, Maryland, Cuttin Loose is a small but cozy shop that provides a myriad of hair and beauty services to the local community. Cyndi Basulto, owner and proprietor, operates a simple, efficient one-woman salon that welcomes a family of regular customers on a regular basis.
As a child styling the hair of her dolls, Cyndi never dreamed that she would own her own hair salon! She was born in Washington, D.C., and her family moved several times during her childhood years to follow her father’s career – from Florida to Michigan, then to California, where she obtained her license. In 1997 she moved back east to Maryland. Shortly after getting settled, Cyndi walked into Cuttin Loose for a haircut, and within weeks she was working as a stylist in the salon. By 2006 she had purchased the shop and has been cutting and styling there ever since.
Cyndi and her husband, a native Californian, and her two teenaged children live in the community and among the customers that she serves. After 23 years in the business, she still enjoys cutting and styling hair. “I cut hair because I love my customers,” she says. She considers them her extended family.
Cuttin Loose offers hair cuts, hair color and highlights, permanent waves and waxing. A manicurist is also available by appointment. Fancy up-do hairstyles for weddings, proms, and dances are also available.
Cuttin Loose LLC 12100 Charles St. La Plata, MD (301)934-5722
Sisk Auto Body, in Owings, Maryland, is a family-owned operation specializing in collision repairs, auto body work, and vehicle detailing services. Doug Sisk, an accomplished auto body specialist, worked for years in other shops honing his craft before striking out on his own in 1981 to open his own business. Now with his wife Terri, their four children, and a staff of highly-trained auto body specialists as part of the business, Doug oversees the day-to-day operations at Sisk Auto Body, ensuring that every customer is completely satisfied with the results of their vehicle repairs.
“It’s your car. It’s your choice.” That’s the motto of Sisk Auto Body. In fact, Sisk outlines a Consumer’s Bill of Rights on their website (www.siskautobody.com) that every automobile owner should read! “Don’t ever let the insurance company tell you where to take your car,” says Muffy Sisk, one of Doug and Terri’s daughters and the owner of the friendly voice you will hear when you call the shop. The Sisk’s daughter Barbara manages the business.
Having an accident is traumatic enough without the added stress of having to choose the right place to obtain repairs. Sisk makes that easy by offering ASE-certified technicians, guaranteeing their work for as long as you own your car, and providing references on request. Sisk works with all insurance companies and handles collision repairs as well as other types of auto body work on all makes and models of vehicles – they’ve even performed repairs on fire trucks and ambulances. They also offer general paint services. At any given time in their shop at 167 Thomas Avenue, they have 20 repair jobs ongoing and average about 80 car repairs per month – and every repair service comes with a wash and vacuum.
If your car doesn’t need repairs but could use a spruce-up, Sisk can take care of that for you. Their auto detailing services are affordable, and the quality of the work is top-notch. A basic hand wash and wax with an interior vacuum and wipe-down starts at $160 for most cars, and an additional $100 will cover an interior shampoo job. Machine buff services start at $150.
Sisk cautions all drivers to be especially careful on the roads at this time of year. They are currently seeing a lot of auto damage due to collisions with deer.
Cash Flow Plus has had a relationship with Sisk since 1991 and can attest to the quality of the workmanship provided by Sisk Auto Body. The Sisk family provides great work at the right price! Visit their web site or give them a call for more information!
Sisk Auto Body www.siskautobody.com (301) 855-5525
Do you remember the days when you would make an appointment to see your doctor and you would actually see the doctor that you wanted to see? When you were more than just a face in the waiting room? When your doctor’s “bedside manner” was like Marcus Welby’s? These days, it’s tough to find a family doctor in a small practice who takes the time to really listen to you – unless you live in the Annapolis area!
South River Primary Care of Edgewater, Maryland, is committed to offering timely, professional, quality and compassionate health care to all members of the local community. Dr. Tim Fry and his staff spend the time needed – not the time recommended – to provide care for every patient, using everything from the latest diagnostic tools and techniques to the oldest and sometimes most effective tools to hear what patients are saying – their ears!
South River Primary Care opened its doors in 2007, but Dr. Fry has been practicing medicine in the Annapolis area for almost 10 years. Born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, Dr. Fry learned from his parents that hard work, honesty, and pride in a job well done, along with a healthy dose of patience and compassion, would serve him well in life. He pursued his dream of becoming a physician by attending Penn State, then traveling to Western University of Health Science in California, and back east to complete his training at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Fry and staff welcome to their friendly and comfortable atmosphere all patients, established as well as new, all ages, and accept most insurance plans.
As we move into the cold and flu season, Dr. Fry recommends that in addition to the standard tips for washing your hands, getting plenty of rest, eating healthy and exercising, you should consider taking a good multivitamin supplement that contains Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, and Echinacea during the winter months. He also recommends taking a trip to someplace warm if you can!
South River Primary Care is located in Suite 330 at 3168 Braverton Street, Edgewater, MD. Phone: (410)-956-7830, Fax: (410)-956-7832
Do you have a vehicle with broken or damaged auto glass? Wizards & Waterfowl, LLC can help! Don’t let broken auto glass compromise your safety and the structural integrity of your vehicle any longer.
Wizards & Waterfowl, LLC, is a Pasadena-based auto glass repair business that is constantly on the move! With a fully-mobile 13-foot workshop, W&W can come to your home or place of business to service your auto glass needs. Their workshop is outfitted with everything necessary to repair dings, cracks, and other types of damage to your car windows – even entire windshield replacements! W&W serves a 25-mile “as the crow flies” radius of territory around the Pasadena area.
You’re probably wondering what wizards and waterfowl have to do with auto glass repair! We won’t keep you in suspense: Chris Donaldson and Mike Meredith, the two main W&W business partners, served in the U.S. Marine Corps together during Desert Fox (the peacekeeping operation that followed Desert Storm in the early 1990s). Chris served as a helicopter repair technician and an aerial door gunner – a tough job in a very dangerous part of the world. Chris’ nickname was “Duck,” and Mike’s nickname was “Merlin” – hence the name, Wizards & Waterfowl. While it might not immediately make you think of auto glass repair, it’s a name that will stick in your mind – and that’s good to know when you need top-quality auto glass services. In fact, Chris has been in the business for eight years and was recognized as one of the top 15 auto glass technicians in the country with his previous company before striking out on his own with W&W in November 2006.
Wizards & Waterfowl services both residential customers, businesses with fleet vehicles, and everything in between. The majority of their business comes from word-of-mouth referrals or the accounts that they already have in place. They also have established solid relationships with glass shops that don’t handle auto glass and refer as well as receive business from these relationships.
“We stand behind our work with a lifetime warranty as long as you own your vehicle,” says Chris. W&W can repair or attempt to repair windshield damage up to the size of a dollar bill. If the repair is unsuccessful (or successful but cracks again in the future from the original point of repair), W&W credits the money paid for the original repair toward the purchase of a new windshield. Repairs are $50 for the first “hit” and $15 for each additional hit or damage point on the windshield. The average windshield chip repair takes about ½ hour to complete, while a full windshield replacement can take up to two hours. W&W is approved to handle claims for most major auto insurance carriers, including State Farm, Allstate, Geico, and Erie.
When he’s not doing auto glass repair, Chris works part-time for a Pasadena-based home improvement company as an insurance-trained estimator and salesperson for roofing, siding, windows and gutters. Karen Donaldson, Chris’ wife, serves as the W&W bookkeeper (when she’s not performing her duties as senior financial analyst for Alpha National Resources, the fourth largest coal company in the US).
During the month of November, Wizards & Waterfowl is offering $15 off any installation service to Cash Flow Plus customers and friends. Give them a call – they’ll work magic with your auto glass needs! (443) 962-2791.
While most people think of spring as a time for cleaning, a good top-to-bottom vacuuming and dusting during the fall not only makes your home more inviting as you spend more time indoors, but helps get you ready for entertaining during the upcoming holidays. You don’t need to look any further than our merchant of the month to help you get started on your seasonal cleaning!
Mike Nalepa and his son, Paul, own and operate Star Sew and Vac, located on Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk, Maryland. A longtime Maryland resident, Mike has been in the sales and service of vacuums and sewing machines since 1966, having purchased Star Vacuums in Suitland in 1988. Paul joined the business at that time, and the father-son operation has been working well ever since. While the Suitland store closed about seven years ago, Star Sew and Vac in Dunkirk is scheduled to celebrate its 14th anniversary in January 2010.
Star Sew and Vac specializes in the sale and service of Oreck brand vacuum cleaners and enjoys the status of being recognized as an Oreck “Select” store and authorized dealer. Oreck vacuum owners receive a warranty on their purchase and can also purchase extended service contracts, and Mike and Paul perform regular and warranty service on Oreck products purchased anywhere.
If you own a vacuum that’s not an Oreck, Mike and Paul can service and repair it for you and will offer you a free estimate on repairs. All of their repairs are done in-house at the Dunkirk store. Mike says that like many things these days, some vacuums are not built like they used to be – but he and Paul can help you make the decision on whether to repair or replace your vacuum. They also repair all makes and models of vacuums and provide free estimates, too. For peak performance, Mike recommends service for your vacuum every two years.
You can also find a complete line of vacuum cleaner parts and accessories at Star Sew and Vac – anything from bags to belts! They also carry Oreck cleaning products and air purifiers, and they rent and sell shampooers for deep-down cleaning.
In addition to vacuums, Mike and Paul repair sewing machines and provide free repair estimates for them as well. While they don’t sell sewing machines, Mike and Paul can recommend Babylock, Pfaff, and White brand sewing machines if you’re in the market for one.
Star Sew and Vac offers Oreck products at factory-direct prices and matches all Oreck sale prices (internet or printed ads). A free gift almost always accompanies the purchase of an Oreck vacuum, giving you more value for your money! Stop in and see Mike and Paul at 10096 Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk. Star Sew and Vac is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM and Saturday from10 AM to 4 PM. You can reach them by phone at 301-855-3992 or 410-257-7383.
With the promise of cooler autumn weather just around the corner, many folks plan day trips to explore new areas, check out different shops, enjoy local festivals, and just have fun. You don’t have to look too far, though, to locate a unique collective of merchants in the Prince Frederick, Maryland, area – two of which we’re featuring as our Merchants of the Month!
Located in the Central Square Shopping Center at 143 Central Square Drive, Bag-O-Beads and Ch’Naca Fiberworks are part of the Shoppes of Southern Maryland, a collection of talented artisans who offer instruction in their specific areas of expertise as well as the opportunity to purchase finished items. The shops also offer a wide range of raw materials for basketry, jewelry making, spinning, weaving, knitting, stained glass crafting and fine arts. Leslie Downs (Bag-O-Beads) and Nancy Donley (Ch’Naca) met and became friends while at the Calvert Country Market, spending five years there before moving to Central Square a year ago. They continue to work together to keep creativity and artistry alive for their customers.
Bag-O-Beads features a full line of high-quality beads for just about any jewelry-making or beading project. Leslie initially opened a business selling antiques including vintage jewelry. From time to time she found the need to repair some pieces and eventually offered repairs as part of her business. As she shopped for beads and supplies to complete the repairs, Leslie was not satisfied with the quality of the supplies she was ordering online, so she decided to open her own bead shop featuring Czech glass beads and natural stones. Thus, Bag-O-Beads was born! Now Leslie spends her time creating unique pieces – some using only new materials, and others using a combination of old and new — for truly one-of-a-kind items. She also teaches jewelry-making skills to anyone who would like to learn, and she offers beading classes by appointment (to fit her customers’ schedules) and home beading parties.
Ch’Naca Fiberworks literally sprung from Nancy Donley’s purchase of llamas! In 1997, Nancy and her husband Chris were looking for a way to involve their daughter Catherine in the 4H program. They attended a llama show and came home with two three-month old llamas – Toby Tyler and Bravada – and have since added an alpaca named Café to their small farm. Nancy’s experience with fiber arts (needlepoint, knitting, etc.) got her thinking about ways to use the llama and alpaca fiber. Llamas are sheared once a year, and one shearing can net enough fiber (about 3 to 4 pounds) to make a sweater. Nancy began spinning and weaving llama fiber and eventually expanded into a full yarn and fiber works shop. The name Ch’Naca comes from a combination of her family’s first names.
Nancy dyes some of the fibers to produce stunning colors for any project – others she leaves in the natural color for customers who prefer to create their own colors. She also teaches knitting and spinning by appointment to afford her customers the maximum amount of flexibility. Ch’Naca offers sheep wool, silk, and linen in addition to alpaca and llama fibers, and some of the finished goods in the shop include shawls, capes, wraps, and woven items.
One of the unique things about the Shoppes is the atmosphere of companionship. Crafters are always welcome to drop in and work on projects together – there are areas dedicated for fiber-workers and jewelry-makers! Leslie offers beads that are perfect for incorporation into projects featuring Nancy’s fibers. Nancy also involves her customers and crafters in local service projects, such as making chemo-caps for patients of the hospital infusion center, and crafting helmet liners for U.S. servicemen and women around the world. Both ladies can also be seen at local craft shows and events, demonstrating their techniques and selling their finished goods. Nancy will be at the Sotterly Plantation Wine Fest in October, and both Leslie and Nancy will be participating in the All Saints Episcopal Church (Sunderland) Christmas Festival in early December.
If you visit the Shoppes in September, mention that you heard about them through the Cash Flow Plus newsletter and receive 15% off of yarn and merchandise from Ch’Naca and 15% off merchandise from Bag-O-Beads. Look for the sign that says “YARN BEADS” and you’ll know you’re in the right place! The shops are open Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 AM to 5 PM, and Wednesdays 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM (Sundays by appointment).
Ch’Naca Fiberworks: 410-535-4344, www.chnaca.com
Bag-O-Beads: 410-610-1738, www.mybagobeads.com
Have you ever stopped to think about your eyes? From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you fall asleep at night, your eyes are hard at work, taking in a host of information and sending it to your brain for processing so that you know what’s going on around you. Your hard-working eyes deserve special care and sometimes need a little help. That’s where our merchant of the month comes in!
Chesapeake Eye Care & Laser Center is a full-service vision care facility providing a host of services from annual eye exams to LASIK and Cataract surgery to cosmetic procedures. Their carefully selected team of specialists offers exceptional personalized service and knowledge of the latest advancements in eye care to meet your specific needs. They are conveniently located in the heart of Annapolis with two locations: the Sajak Pavilion in Annapolis and South River Colony Main Street Offices in Edgewater. Adjacent to their main office in the Sajak Pavilion is their own private, accredited surgery center that offers state-of-the-art technology.
LASIK (which stands for Laser-Assisted-In-Situ-Keratomileusis) has gained popularity over the past several years, and Chesapeake Eye Care offers this procedure on a regular basis. This procedure corrects your vision by actually reshaping the cornea with a laser, reducing and often eliminating the need for corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. If you don’t wear glasses full time but need them for reading, the practice has a procedure that may allow you to toss those reading glasses for good! CK, or conductive keratoplasty, corrects your near vision with radio waves and is such a simple procedure that it often lasts less than five minutes.
Chesapeake Eye Care offers oculofacial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery (also referred to as oculoplastic surgery) which includes medical and aesthetic services above the cheekbones. Some of these services include treatments for thyroid eye disease, orbital fractures, eyelid tumors, and blocked tear ducts, as well as eyelid and eyebrow surgery, Botox®, Restylane®, Microdermabrasion, facial peels, and skin care treatments.
As we age, we become more at risk for developing cataracts, which is the clouding of your natural lens. At Chesapeake Eye Care, they offer the latest surgical procedures and lens replacements for cataract patients. Just a few years ago, patients only had one option, the monofocal lens, which is commonly set for distance and patients usually wear glasses after surgery. Today, multifocal or accommodative intraocular lenses (IOL) greatly improve patients’ range of quality vision allowing them to see near, far and everything in between with limited or no use of glasses after surgery. For patients who have both a cataract and corneal astigmatism, there are now intraocular lenses, such as the AcrySof® Toric IOL, that allows them to recapture quality distance vision.
For patients with glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and thyroid eye disease, Chesapeake Eye Care offers the latest surgical and non-surgical treatments. Today, revolutionary advances in technology give you so many more options for your vision care than ever before. At Chesapeake Eye Care, their doctors will work with you to find the solution that best suits your individual needs.
To maintain and ensure healthy eyes and proper vision, Dr. Maria Scott, Chesapeake Eye Care’s Medical Director, recommends an annual eye exam. The exam consists of refractive dilation to look at the front and back of the eye, vision evaluation, and analysis of your prescription (if you wear glasses or contacts) to determine whether or not it needs adjustment.
From now until the end of August, Chesapeake Eye Care is offering a $500 discount for patients who elect to have bi-lateral LASIK surgery at TLC Laser Eye Center (where Dr. Scott is also the Medical Director).
With TLC’s $500 discount, you can receive $1,000 off of your bi-lateral LASIK procedure.
Chesapeake Eye Care and Laser Center 1-877-DR4-2020
www.chesapeakeeyecare.com
Business owners face many daily challenges: sales, marketing, employee issues, finances, supplies…the list goes on. One of the most intimidating but fun tasks that a business owner has to tackle is advertising and signage. Whether you know exactly what you want to say or just have an idea of what you’d like to communicate, our merchants of the month can bring your vision to reality!
Signs By Tomorrow is a nationwide franchise with approximately 170 locations throughout the United States, but we think that the best locations are right here in our own back yard! Rick Vohrer and Ray Palmer own three Baltimore-area Signs By Tomorrow stores and one store in Dover, Delaware. Tom Olszewski is the proud owner of Signs By Tomorrow of Catonsville.
Tom’s experience with Signs By Tomorrow comes from his position at SBT headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, where he managed the headquarters store and served briefly as the franchise business consultant. The entrepreneur bug bit him, and he purchased the Catonsville location in 2007. Tom enjoys the challenges of owning his own business and the freedom he has to take an idea as far as he wants when creating and producing what his customers need. Being an SBT owner gives Tom the freedom and independence to pursue his own ideas along with the advantages of being part of the franchise family – working with other owners to share new ideas, concepts, and technologies. “We learn a lot from each other,” says Tom.
Rick’s experience in sales and Ray’s expertise with systems and administration has proven to be a winning combination for their SBT partnership. They started out by purchasing three struggling stores – Dundalk, Holliday Street in Baltimore City, and Catonsville (which they sold to Tom two and a half years ago). Over the past seven and a half years, Rick and Ray took the struggling franchises and turned them around to make them some of the best performing stores in the SBT system, growing tenfold during that time! They added a new location in Aberdeen shortly after starting out, and they purchased the Dover store earlier this year, saving it from certain failure and turning it toward success.
Rick and Ray see their business as a solutions-driven, visual communications entity. “We use cutting-edge technology to fabricate, produce, and manufacture solutions to meet our customer’s needs,” says Rick. They can produce virtually any size and type of sign (except for bending neon signs) and can facilitate the construction of complimentary design elements as well as coordinate the placement of signs in hard-to-reach places (like rooftops of buildings). The Dundalk store has a full paint booth – a feature unique to SBT stores. They have also developed a line of business specializing in way-finding signs (including Braille) and offer those items at wholesale prices to other sign businesses across the country.
While signs of all kinds are their bread and butter, SBT is not just a next-day-sign store! They can print custom wall coverings and ceramic tiles, and they can even print on fabric that can be made into custom drapes for interior designs. SBT’s innovative approach to using technology that has traditionally been used for signs and graphics allows their customers to brand their businesses and communicate with the marketplace in new and creative ways. As technology continues to evolve, SBT is doing more with video messaging, visual content from copy and still pictures, and even full video productions.
As mentioned above, SBT gives its owners the latitude to develop new ideas. Within the next six to nine months, Rick and Ray will be releasing a brand new patented technology that will allow vehicles with “wrapped” graphics to light up the graphics at night, with the effect similar to that of a plasma screen. They developed this technology with another partner and are looking forward to making it available to customers soon!
Signs By Tomorrow is offering a 20% discount to Cash Flow Plus merchants and friends during the month of July. Simply bring this article with you to any of the five locations and you will receive 20% off of your order. The offer is good through July 31, 2009.
SBT Catonsville: 410-788-0366
SBT Aberdeen: 410- 273-9742
SBT Baltimore: 410- 625-7446
SBT Dundalk: 410-282-4432
SBT Dover: 302-744-9396
www.signsbytomorrow.com
One thing that many of us associate with Maryland summers is the return of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab to our dining tables!
In honor of the time-honored Maryland tradition of steaming and enjoying crabs, we are featuring three of our seafood merchants as our Merchants of the Month!
Mel’s Crabs
Mel’s Crabs, located at 5005 Solomons Island Road in Huntingtown, MD (in front of Discount Liquors), specializes in the sale of Maryland blue crabs. Mel Brennan has been a commercial waterman for the last 23 years and enjoys providing quality crustaceans to crab lovers. Crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac and Patuxent rivers, Mel catches some of the crabs himself – the biggest one he ever caught was 9 ¼ inches! He also supplements his inventory with catches from other local watermen. His roadside truck is a familiar sight in Huntingtown from April through December, selling crabs to loyal customers from noon to 7 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 7 PM Saturdays, and 10 AM to 6 PM Sundays, rain or shine.
Mel is currently in his 21st year and enjoys every minute of it – meeting new people, chatting with his customers, even watching the kids of his customers grow up and come back as adults to purchase crabs! Mel stands behind his crabs, too. If you find that any of your crabs have died between purchase time and steam time, you can bring them back at your convenience, and Mel will replace them with the same number on your next order (please freeze them first, though, so they don’t smell!). Sales are first-come, first served – so if you need to satisfy your craving for crabs, be sure to get to Mel’s truck early!
- Contact Mel at 410-394-0777 or visit www.melscrabs.com.
Bob Evans Seafood
If you’re in the Churchton, MD, area and have a craving for crabs, look no further than Bob Evans Seafood, a family-owned and operated business located at 5527 Muddy Creek Road. Since 1976, Bob has been catching and selling seafood “fresh from the boat to you.” He is a full-time waterman and sells mostly what he catches from all over the Chesapeake Bay with the help of his two full-time employees. Bob’s two daughters are also involved in the running of the business. His offerings include hard and soft crabs in the summer, fresh fish year-round, and oysters in the winter. He also offers some frozen items like shrimp, mussels, and scallops to give customers a variety of choices. Bob also has the ever-popular soft crabs available during the summer – you can even stop by and watch them shed their shells! Once a crab begins, the process takes about an hour to complete.
While crabbing and fishing are enjoyable, Bob also looks forward to talking with his regular customers and meeting new ones. He has had regular customers since 1976 and is now selling to their children and grandchildren! Bob also stands behind his seafood with his satisfaction guarantee. If you are unhappy with anything you’ve purchased, simply bring it back for an exchange (this includes dead crabs, too). Summer hours are 11 AM to 6 PM seven days a week; during the winter, the store is open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 6 PM.
- Advance orders are welcome! Contact Bob at 410-867-3884.
John’s Crabs and Seafood
In the Dunkirk, MD, area, John’s Crabs and Seafood offers a wide variety of fresh seafood year-round. John Watts comes from a long line of watermen: his father owned and operated Pop’s Seafood in Landover Hills for many years, and John himself has been crabbing since he was a boy. After 18 years as a maritime rigger at the US Naval Academy, John decided to focus his full attention on the seafood shop, located at 2853 Chesapeake Beach Road in Dunkirk. His seafood includes crabs (both hard and soft), shrimp, lobsters, fresh fish, clams, and oysters (raw and steamed). John gets most of his seafood from local watermen and from his dad, too, with the catch coming from the waters of Herring Bay and the Chesapeake Bay. Joe Duvall, a local waterman, also helps John run the store.
Like some crab vendors, John started his business out of a truck, selling crabs by the side of the road in Prince George’s County for 15 years. He enjoys meeting people and catching up with his regular customers – many have followed him from that roadside to his current shop. John takes pride in selling the freshest seafood around. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you can return it for equal replacement.
- You can also get a frequent customer card, which is worth $50 off your seafood purchase after you spend $500.
- John’s Crabs and Seafood is open year-round, 11 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.
- Give John or Joe a call at 301-855-6880 for current prices and specials!