Gabby Watson, 22, has spent her whole life so far in restaurants.

The Sykesville native grew up helping her father, Keith Watson, a chef, at the Crab Shanty in Ellicott City when she was a child, and at E. W. Beck’s in Sykesville throughout middle and high school.

“I grew up [at the Crab Shanty], running around the walk-ins, doing whatever I could and helping with prep, baking,” Watson said.

After two years helping her father at the Dandelion Bakery Bistro in Glenelg, she is taking the Watson legacy back to Sykesville, at 7556 Main St., where Dandelion Bakery will open in early 2019.

The young pastry chef took her love of baking, and her experience, to the Culinary Institute of America after she graduated from Century High School in 2014 — and has been using her newfound skills at the family restaurant in Glenelg since her return.

Now she is going to put her education to creative use in the bakery she will be running, Watson said, with plans to craft artisan breads, and desserts with elaborate designs and flavors like Earl Grey tea and kumquat.

She is excited to become a part of the bustling downtown Sykesville scene and play a role in the evolution of her hometown.

“We are definitely bringing in more diversity, which is nice,” she said. “It used to be just clothing shops. … I think just being on Main Street, doing all the events and festivals, it’s something we’ve missed in Glenelg.”

Watson also said she believes Dandelion Bakery will have an audience better suited to the products she wants to bake. She said she did some creative baking in Glenelg but found she had more success there without the frills.

“They wanted simple,” said Watson.

And she couldn’t bake bread in Glenelg because the restaurant didn’t have the equipment — something she said Sykesville residents are asking for.

“Here it will be a little bit more like the bakeries you would find in New York: breads, entremets [like Tiramisu, opera pistachio, lemon blueberry twist and chocolate mousse], things I learned in school,” said Watson. “I want to try them here, more individual desserts. Leaning towards the French-style, with macarons, cream puffs, baguettes.”

Downtown Sykesville Connection’s executive director, Julie Della-Maria, said that the Watsons brought some samples of their baked goods to a recent merchants’ meeting and that Dandelion Bakery is a welcome addition to the town.

“It was very impressive,” she said. “Now we are just waiting for them to open.”

Items local residents can expect to find on the Dandelion Bakery menu come early 2019 include morning pastries — like cranberry-orange and gluten-free scones and homemade pop tarts — baguettes, focaccia and challah breads, cookies, fruit tarts, cheesecake, pies and cakes.

Coming soon

The Washington, D.C.-based Mindful Restaurant Group will add its ninth property in the former location of the PNC Bank on Church Circle in Annapolis.

The new restaurant’s culinary offerings are to be determined, but Mindful co-owner Ari Gejdenson is considering an Italian spot. The restaurant will feature an event space on a second floor and a cocktail bar on the basement level. Patrons might enjoy “beautiful fresh seafood,” “wonderful cuts of steak,” or “homemade pasta,” Gejdenson said.

He estimated the doors would open in about two years after restoration is completed on the historic building.

Closings

The Friendly’s restaurant in Westminster served its last scoops of ice cream Tuesday, closing its doors for good.

Friendly’s, the corporate entity, along with other area franchises, has had financial troubles over the last decade. The Lutherville Friendly’s at 1414 York Road since 1975 was shuttered in December 2016, and the Main Street Bel Air Friendly’s closed the same month. The Friendly’s on Frederick Road in Catonsville closed in September 2017. Other area Friendly’s locations — Perry Hall and Dundalk — remain open.

Bonchon, the chain known for its Korean fried chicken, has closed its sole Baltimore location, a spokeswoman for the company confirmed Tuesday.

The closure comes less than two years after the eatery opened its doors at 3500 Boston St. in Canton. Carlene Blair, a Bonchon spokeswoman, said there was no “major reason” for the closure.

Bonchon continues with locations in Pasadena, Hanover, Ellicott City and Columbia.

Of note

A Havre de Grace restaurant has temporarily lost its liquor license following “an emergency public safety shutdown” last week at the request of Havre de Grace police.

Havre de Grace Police Department Cpl. Dan Petz said Tuesday the Tidewater Grille is the subject of an ongoing drug investigation. He said police have received “multiple complaints” from the community.

The restaurant is in the 300 block of Franklin St. along the Susquehanna River.

Baltimore Sun Media Group reporters Erika Butler, Jon Kelvey and Danielle Ohl and Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Meehan contributed to this article.