Business

Stepping into the waiting room at Lactation Room in downtown Mount Airy, one might feel like they entered the living room of a girlfriend’s apartment. Outfitted in pink, peach and gray décor and furniture, the space offers a calm and inviting atmosphere suitable for new mothers and their infant children. The Lactation Room has three locations in the region, in North Bethesda, Herndon, Virginia, and Mount Airy, the first in Carroll County.

Pizza bar Locals Only is now open at 25 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill. The new business fills a space that was recently Pretty Awesome Live Music (P.A.L.M.) and Social Pub. Locals Only is a concept by Federal Hill hospitality veteran Andrew Wheeler. Wheeler was a partner at The Charles in Federal Hill before the ownership group sold it to a new owner in recent weeks. Wheeler also worked at Mad River in the same building.

Harris Teeter’s parent company, the Kroger Co., announced they will be selling 10 of its stores in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. to C&S Wholesale Grocers, parent company of Piggly Wiggly and Grand Union, ahead of its planned merger with the Idaho-based Albertsons Companies Inc. Kroger has not identified which Harris Teeters located in Maryland are slated to be sold to C&S.

Prince George’s County is now taking applications for a new accelerator program geared to small-business owners seeking guidance on how to raise capital and effectively market and sell their products or services. The program — a partnership between M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB), the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp. and FSC First, a community development lender in the county — launches Sept. 26 and will run for eight weeks.

A My Salon Suite franchise group has signed a lease with Baltimore-based Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) for 7,000 square feet of space within Towne Square, a 126,000 square foot neighborhood shopping center located at 11029 West Colonial Drive in Ocoee, Florida. This represents the first location for the franchise owned and operated by Corey, Judith, and Terrel Corbitt, who plan to open the hair salon concept next year.

Baltimore Gas and Electric on Monday announced the extension of the temporary restraining order that prevented it from installing any more gas regulators on homes in Baltimore. The temporary restraining order was in effect last week when the Maryland Public Service Commission ordered BGE to give its customers the option of whether they want an outside gas regulator or one installed inside their homes.

Officials say the first two phases of an improvement project at the convention center should conclude this week. On Monday, Roland E. Powell Convention Center Executive Director Larry Noccolino presented members of the Ocean City Tourism Commission with an update on improvements being made to both levels of the convention center. He noted that crews would likely complete the first two phases, which focused on the main level of the convention center, by Friday.