Sipping and supporting local at Shop Made in Maryland
By Sara Silverman
April 15, 2025
Credit: Sara Silverman
By visiting Shop Made in Maryland under College Park’s city hall, shoppers can buy matcha from Baltimore, handcrafted jewelry from Potomac or espresso from Gaithersburg without ever leaving College Park.
This local coffee shop is devoted to supporting local businesses. The store sells products from Maryland-based makers, while also providing a space where students can do homework at their communal tables and order food and drinks.
“It helps local artisans, designers, and small businesses thrive while driving traffic to neighborhoods and creating low-barrier opportunities,” store manager Gabrielle Brinkhoff said. “We celebrate local talent and support Maryland’s creative community.”
Brinkhoff’s favorite business is Elevation Lifestyle, a bath and body business owned by a family.
The mother, Rhonda Smith, leads the bath and body business. Smith’s father worked in 9/11 cleanup efforts and as a result developed health issues. He received compensation for his health issues, which helped fund the business.
Smith’s parents both recently passed away, but their memory lives on through her business. It remains one of Shop Made in Maryland’s most successful sellers.
“It's just one of the many inspiring stories from over 150 makers we work with, each from unique backgrounds,” Brinkhoff said. “This visibility helps them grow their businesses while allowing them to keep creating and thriving in Maryland.”
Lindsey Rosenberg, a sophomore public health science major, studies at Shop Made around five times a week. She not only loves their beverages but also enjoys the atmosphere.
Shop Made inspired Rosenberg to create an Instagram account dedicated to local coffee shops. Whenever she travels to a new place, she finds a local coffee shop to support and posts a review of the coffee for her followers to see.
“It’s made me really appreciate supporting local businesses,” Rosenberg said. “My connection to Shop Made has kind of inspired me to try more places outside of just Dunkin and Starbucks.”
Brinkhoff said she loves their job for many reasons but the most rewarding part is “the people.” They have created meaningful relationships with their employees, makers and regular customers.
“One of the most rewarding moments was seeing a regular customer, who was expecting a baby, come in after giving birth so I could meet her newborn,” Brinkhoff said. “It's those little connections that make this job so fulfilling.”
The store also offers events and workshops multiple times a week. These events intend to create an even stronger community in College Park and encourage shoppers to buy locally.
“We have self-driven events like Wine and Watercolor on Fridays and instructor-led classes, such as candle-making, poetry lessons and cake decorating,” Brinkhoff said.
Because Shop Made is currently updating its programming team, there will be new classes and different pricing options available. Shop Made also hired a marketing team that visits the store bimonthly.
Brinkhoff has worked in the food industry since they were 14 years old. Although they loved the food industry, Brinkhoff was looking for a job that would give them purpose.
“When I saw Shop Made in Maryland was looking for a cafe assistant manager, the opportunity to support local makers, especially from the LGBTQ and POC communities, felt special and aligned with my values,” Brinkhoff said.
Shop Made in Maryland is home to many College Park students and local businesses. It continues to be a welcoming and inclusive place for many customers.
“Shop Made in Maryland, as crazy as it sounds, is a big part of my life,” Rosenberg said.
This local coffee shop is devoted to supporting local businesses. The store sells products from Maryland-based makers, while also providing a space where students can do homework at their communal tables and order food and drinks.
“It helps local artisans, designers, and small businesses thrive while driving traffic to neighborhoods and creating low-barrier opportunities,” store manager Gabrielle Brinkhoff said. “We celebrate local talent and support Maryland’s creative community.”
Brinkhoff’s favorite business is Elevation Lifestyle, a bath and body business owned by a family.
The mother, Rhonda Smith, leads the bath and body business. Smith’s father worked in 9/11 cleanup efforts and as a result developed health issues. He received compensation for his health issues, which helped fund the business.
Smith’s parents both recently passed away, but their memory lives on through her business. It remains one of Shop Made in Maryland’s most successful sellers.
“It's just one of the many inspiring stories from over 150 makers we work with, each from unique backgrounds,” Brinkhoff said. “This visibility helps them grow their businesses while allowing them to keep creating and thriving in Maryland.”
Lindsey Rosenberg, a sophomore public health science major, studies at Shop Made around five times a week. She not only loves their beverages but also enjoys the atmosphere.
Shop Made inspired Rosenberg to create an Instagram account dedicated to local coffee shops. Whenever she travels to a new place, she finds a local coffee shop to support and posts a review of the coffee for her followers to see.
“It’s made me really appreciate supporting local businesses,” Rosenberg said. “My connection to Shop Made has kind of inspired me to try more places outside of just Dunkin and Starbucks.”
Brinkhoff said she loves their job for many reasons but the most rewarding part is “the people.” They have created meaningful relationships with their employees, makers and regular customers.
“One of the most rewarding moments was seeing a regular customer, who was expecting a baby, come in after giving birth so I could meet her newborn,” Brinkhoff said. “It's those little connections that make this job so fulfilling.”
The store also offers events and workshops multiple times a week. These events intend to create an even stronger community in College Park and encourage shoppers to buy locally.
“We have self-driven events like Wine and Watercolor on Fridays and instructor-led classes, such as candle-making, poetry lessons and cake decorating,” Brinkhoff said.
Because Shop Made is currently updating its programming team, there will be new classes and different pricing options available. Shop Made also hired a marketing team that visits the store bimonthly.
Brinkhoff has worked in the food industry since they were 14 years old. Although they loved the food industry, Brinkhoff was looking for a job that would give them purpose.
“When I saw Shop Made in Maryland was looking for a cafe assistant manager, the opportunity to support local makers, especially from the LGBTQ and POC communities, felt special and aligned with my values,” Brinkhoff said.
Shop Made in Maryland is home to many College Park students and local businesses. It continues to be a welcoming and inclusive place for many customers.
“Shop Made in Maryland, as crazy as it sounds, is a big part of my life,” Rosenberg said.