From Cocoa Bombs To The Hive: Brittany Russin Smith’s Journey

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: ·         The Hive At Rumsey Creative Kitchen & Events – Joppatowne, MD ·         Honey Loft Suite (upstairs venue at Rumsey Towers) – Joppatowne, MD ·         Full Circle Boards – charcuterie; cohost Tammie Wingrove ·         Creative Chef / Creative Chef Mobile (Ben) – catering & food truck ·         410 Empanadas – launched in the kitchen previously mentioned ·         Boards by Dana – Bel Air brick-and-mortar charcuterie ·         Lean Kitchen (Bel Air, owner Jason) – meal prep retail using commissary kitchen ·         Purely Prepped Meals (Shelby) – clean eating meal prep, partners with Creative Chef ·         Rave Regina – Haitian cuisine (new vendor) ·         Blind Tiger (Erica) – mobile bar service at events ·         Lagniappe (prior restaurant at space; Teres &Send us Fan MailCelebrate the Magic of Words in Bel Air, Maryland!https://bookfairatbelair.org/Four Seasons Landscape & Construction SeWhile 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.Support the showRate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett Facebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett Instagram – @conversationswithrichbennettTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTokSponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Hosted on BuzzsproutSquadCastSubscribe by Email