3 new businesses open in Howard County

From crafting opportunities to sushi restaurants, Howard County has several new additions to its business scene. Here are a few of the county’s newest businesses:

Board & Brush Creative Studio

This Columbia store offers do-it-yourself wood project workshops and paint-and-sip experiences, meaning attendees can bring their own wine to drink while they craft. Board & Brush hosted a grand reopening on June 9 after a change in leadership, according to Tracey Moser, the shop’s new owner.

People sign up for a workshop, and Board & Brush will provide all painting and wood materials. Instructors guide in sanding, distressing, staining, painting and waxing processes for about three hours, and all finished products can be taken home.

Moser said she hopes to create a space for people to unwind from their day while gaining an appreciation for DIY projects.

“Coming here is more about the experience than the end product,” Moser said.

The studio hosts private and corporate events, birthday parties and has an online shop to buy pre-made wood projects. Prices range from $35 to $220 depending on the workshop or event, according to Moser.

The studio is at 7185 Columbia Gateway Drive, Unit G. The store is one of more than 200 of its kind across the United States.

Medium Rare

The newest location for national restaurant chain Medium Rare opened in April in Columbia. It is one of three locations in Maryland.

The restaurant is known for its prix fixe steak frites with a “Secret Sauce,” the only dinner option on its menu.

Mark Bucher, the restaurant’s co-founder, said Medium Rare’s concept is built around the idea that customers will tend to order the same item every time they go to the same restaurant.

“You simply can’t be all things to all people,” Bucher said. “Everything we do is simple.”

Columbia’s Medium Rare is an expansion of the Washington, D.C., location that opened in 2010.

Bucher opens a restaurant in cities with NFL teams, he said, and Columbia was an addition before adopting that business model. There are locations in Baltimore, New Orleans and Dallas, with more stores to open around the country, Bucher said.

Bucher also has created Feed the Fridge, a nonprofit that aims to battle food insecurity. It started as a “short-term response” to supply food during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and continues to meet food needs, Bucher said.

Wherever Medium Rare opens, Feed the Fridge follows, Bucher said.

The restaurant is open nightly for dinner during the week and open for brunch on weekends. Brunch offerings include some egg dishes with steak, french toast and bottomless drinks, Bucher said.

Dinner costs $29 and brunch is $35 a person. Medium Rare is in the Merriweather District, at 6000 Merriweather Drive.

Takumi Japanese Bistro & Bar

Takumi offers sushi, sashimi, ramen and more. The bistro held a ribbon cutting June 18 after a soft opening in March. The contemporary bistro serves a fusion of classic Japanese food and innovative culinary techniques, according to its website.

Takumi started as a way for founder Zong Chen to fulfill a longtime dream of owning a restaurant that serves sushi, according to Matt Hall, the restaurant group’s marketing director. Chen began his restaurant ventures with a sushi restaurant in the Columbia Gateway Center. When that fell through, he moved to work with different restaurant groups and now owns the master franchise for Kung Fu Tea shops in the area, Hall said.

Chen co-founded the bistro in Columbia with Daven Pan, who also serves as its sushi chef, according to Hall. A second location in Arlington is in the works, Hall added.

The bistro imports fish from Japan twice a week for its sushi, according to its website. The restaurant now offers sake, wine and signature cocktails, after getting an alcohol license on June 15, according to Hall.

It occupies the space left from The Mall in Columbia’s Starbucks at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia.