Business

Maryland’s casino industry continued to see gains last month, as the state registered its first full month of eased (and, in some cases, completely lifted) restrictions since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. April marked the third-best month for casinos since the industry got its start, with the state’s six casinos bringing in a total of $162.1 million. The revenue represented an 11.6% increase compared with April 2019 (casinos throughout the state were shut down entirely last April due to the pandemic).

One Hampden restaurant owner is trying to fundraise enough money to buy a prime strip of the Avenue that her business sits on. “Our main concern is that some person with very deep pockets is going to come in and control our fate,” said Samantha Claassen, the owner of Golden West Café. The property on West 36th Street and Hickory Ave is about to go up for auction on May 21. It also includes two other restaurants, Souvlaki and Philly’s Best. Claassen is worried that the rent may be raised under new property ownership and she could be forced out of the space the business has operated in since 2003.

Though virtual events have been a bright spot for many throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, no Zoom meeting could simulate the experience of, say, sipping mead in the cool summer air while watching a costumed juggler perform a routine. That’s why organizers and attendees alike are looking forward to returning to in-person events — especially outdoor activities, which are largely regarded as low-risk spaces for the spread of COVID-19 — as Maryland heads into the warmer months.

Hunt Valley-based McCormick & Company Inc. announced Paige Holley and Gregory Toliver as the 86th and 87th recipients of the Charles Perry McCormick Scholarship during the 2021 Unsung Heroes virtual event Tuesday night. The scholarships are worth $40,000 over four years. To date, the company has awarded more than $1.9 Million in scholarships to deserving student-athletes.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. plans to launch a new direct-to-consumer live sports streaming application in 2022 with the goal of transforming the way viewers watch their favorite teams play. Cord-cutting, along with blackouts of Hunt Valley-based Sinclair’s Bally Sports-branded networks by Dish Network, Hulu and YouTube TV after failed negotiations for carriage agreements, has left fans scrambling for ways to watch their teams. Tons of fans have expressed their frustration directly to Sinclair (NASDAQ: SBGI) on Twitter.

Many Marylanders are becoming more and more apprehensive about the prospect of millions of harmless little insects known as cicadas flooding the state in the coming weeks but the President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland is not one of them. In fact, Marshall Weston said Wednesday that he has not heard “any restaurant express any concern about the cicadas whatsoever.” Weston said that because of that sentiment he is not aware of any restaurants having to take precautions to deal with the perceived threat before it arrives.

Legend Food Service, a Connecticut-based provider of workplace convenience solutions, Wednesday acquired Vending Plus in Linthicum Heights and Jel-Cap Vending in Windsor Mill. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. Both businesses will now operate underneath the Legend umbrella and be managed by the Legend executive team. To expand its reach, Legend Food Service has purchased six legacy companies.

Baltimore Gas & Electric awarded 88 small businesses within its service area $20,000 grants through its Energizing Small Business Grants program. This program is part of BGE’s $15 million pledge to assist small businesses with COVID-19 relief and recovery and is a multi-year commitment expected to run through at least 2023.

What a week it has been for Under Armour. Shares of the Baltimore-based sportswear maker rose more than 7% to $25.57 on Wednesday after MarketWatch reported that growth in Under Armour’s average selling price for footwear has outpaced Nike’s in recent months. Under Armour’s average selling price has increased 25%, compared to 10% for Nike, according to MarketWatch, which cited a “Sneaker Wars” update by investment firm Jefferies Financial Group.