From Cocoa Bombs To The Hive: Brittany Russin Smith’s JourneyPublished on October 27, 2025 Owner/operator Brittany Russin Smith shares how she turned a love of baking and community into The Hive at Rumsey—Harford County’s collaborative commissary kitchen—and The Honey Loft upstairs venue. She walks through vendor partnerships, micro-weddings, BYO alcohol logistics, and what it takes to run a flexible event space on the water in Joppatowne. If you care about local entrepreneurship, food businesses, and community-powered growth, this one’s packed with practical insights. Sponsored by Four Seasons Landscape & Construction Services Guest Bio: Brittany Russin Smith is the founder of The Hive at Rumsey (a licensed commissary kitchen and event space) and co-owner of The Honey Loft, an upstairs waterfront venue in Joppatowne, MD. A former government contractor and Maryland State Police employee, she pivoted during 2020 from hot cocoa bombs and cottage-food baking into running a multi-vendor kitchen that supports caterers, food trucks, and pop-up events—all with a mission to help small businesses thrive. Main Topics: · What a commissary kitchen is and why Harford County needed one · Brittany’s path: government contracting → state police → entrepreneurship · 2020 cottage-food beginnings (hot cocoa bombs) and spark to build The Hive · Launching The Honey Loft: micro-wedding giveaway → full venue · Capacity & layout: indoor/outdoor options, lawn by the water, roundtables · Vendor ecosystem & collaboration (caterers, food trucks, charcuterie, desserts) · BYO alcohol rules at private events; staffing bartenders vs. liquor license · Social media hurdles for local businesses and group-posting limits · Future vision: expand kitchen/prep and storage downstairs; events upstairs · Community mentors, family support (shoutout to “Queen Bee” mom) and tattoos that tell the story Resources mentioned: BEcome Pampered - The BEcome Project https://harfordcountyhealth.com Four Seasons Landscape & Construction Se While we perform the traditional lawn and landscape bed services, our passion is providing drainage Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media: Sponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills: |
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