With Subway Opening its Doors in Historic Ellicott City, Locals Ask: 'Is Main Street Going Corporate?'

Nestled within a slew of quirky antique shops and independent boutiques is a storefront that, like a few others on Main Street in Ellicott City, is adorned by crumpled brown paper—something that’s become a familiar sight in an area that’s seen its fair share of recent business turnover, in part due to the recession.

But while other such storefronts remain anonymous as to what business might appear next, plastered in the window of this particular building—the former site of Sweet Bakery—is a small poster announcing the coming of chain restaurant Subway.

And while the sub shop, with its green, yellow and white signage is no McDonald’s, it does signify to some a negative cultural shift within Ellicott City’s historic district.

“I’m not happy about it,” noted 20-year-old Vintage Girls store assistant Tara Walters. “The independent businesses are what gives this area that vintage feel.”

Walters, a student who often spends time on Main Street with friends for its arty appeal, noted that she’s concerned the Subway restaurant could be a harbinger for what’s to come.

“I talk about it with my friends…We’re like, ‘Oh, What’s next, McDonald’s?’ It just kills the vibe,” she said.

According to Google Maps, there are at least five Subway restaurants in Ellicott City, two of which are located on Route 40. According to a recent Associated Press article, the Subway sandwich chain has surpassed McDonald’s in terms of its number of stores worldwide.

In the meantime, Subway marks the first chain eatery to enter the historic area in recent memory.

While the Howard County Historic District Commission—which works to preserve the historic integrity of the area—regulates aesthetic building details such as signage and siding, it does not regulate what or who can do business in the district.

But that doesn't mean residents are happy about the change.  

“When I found out, my heart sank,” said Shelley Wygant, an area resident who is also the president of the Howard County Historical Society. Giving her personal sentiments on the matter, she echoed Walters' concerns.

“It’s not the way we’d like to see this town go,” she said. 

Zebop saleswoman Jenny MacVeigh, who has been working on Main Street for half a decade, wonders how well the business will do in an environment with so many restaurants.

“Who is going to drive to [Main Street] to eat at Subway? … I won’t walk up there and buy lunch … I don’t know what clientele they’re aiming at,” MacVeigh said, a bit flummoxed.

However MacVeigh remains conflicted about the shop, adding that she thinks something there is better than nothing. And with the downturn in the economy negatively affecting businesses, she thinks empty storefronts are discouraging to shoppers and potential shop owners alike.

Karen Besson, owner of the Main Street boutique shop Art and Artisan, seems to agree.

Besson sits on the board of the Ellicott City Business Association, and while she says the association has not taken a particular stance on the issue, she noted, “It’s a little bit better than a vacancy, but not by much … I’d rather see something more creative go there.”

In the meantime, one person who certainly has the long view of the area is Enalee Bounds, who has been operating her antiques business on Main Street for nearly 50 years.

She talked about the historic importance of the street, giving detailed descriptions on historical tales as if she were a teenager talking about her heartthrob. There is the story of George Washington traveling the street en route to Annapolis, she said. And there was the time during the Civil War when the basement of St. Paul’s Church was turned into a hospital, she said.

When it came to the subject of Subway coming into the district, she said, “It is a historic district in a very historic town, and we’d like to see it stay that way.”

She also expressed concerns about parking.

Yet when it came to discussing the area’s empty storefronts, Bounds did not seem to be worried.

“As soon as the economy gets better,” she said, “they’ll get filled up.” 

Representatives for this particular Subway franchise could not be reached for comment.