09-25-2022 Capital Style - Flipbook - Page 14
EATS
By Christina Tkacik Capital Style
Owners Jeremy and Michelle Hoffman stand on the patio at Garten, their new restaurant, wine and beer garden, which is set to open in
early October in Severna Park. PHOTOS BY BARBARA HADDOCK TAYLOR
Watch their Garten grow
Preserve owners to open beer garden in former Cafe Bretton
Excavators were repaving the parking lot during
a recent visit to Garten; the dining room was empty
of furniture. Yet it was easy to see Michelle Hoffman’s vision for her new restaurant opening in
early October in Severna Park.
Walking through the space, the 38-year-old
restaurateur pointed out the future wine shop,
which will also sell cheese and meats for neighbors
who don’t want to cook dinner. Across the room
will be a tile-floored dining area; the fireplace is a
holdover from when the building was home to Cafe
Bretton, which shut down during the pandemic.
Garten is both informed by lessons learned
during COVID-19 and financed by grants and loans
received during the pandemic.
“The thing we learned in COVID-19 is you can’t
just do traditional dining anymore,” said Hoffman. “I think that the future of restaurants is very
14
| CAPITAL STYLE | Fall 2022
A mural painted by Annapolis artist Jeff Huntington adorns the
side of Garten.