Soft Stuff To Expand; Forest Diner Has Five Years

The Forest Diner will close -- in five years -- but Soft Stuff stays and expands.

The Howard County Times posted news that the owner of the Forest Diner has sold its land on Rte 40 in Ellicott City and has a five-year lease now to run the diner. No huge effect today, although, as a former newspaper reporter, I recognize a story idea with good photos, nostalgia, and people happy to talk about good news.

The sidebar quotes a local guy whose family owns the neighboring Forest Motel and bought the Forest Diner. The motel has closed, but they're keeping Soft Stuff open selling ice cream from its current stand for 2009. Soft Stuff is a great local place, one of my favorite spots on a summer night to sit with a soft serve cone and a bunch of other people. Starting in Spring 2010, Soft Stuff is planned as the first tenant in the new development on that site. It might move a little, but they're planning on picnic tables! A local spot continues!

(This post replaces an earlier post that I wrote when I saw the main story, but not the sidebar on the Web. Score one for Old Media because I wouldn't have made that mistake if I had actually read a newspaper. Thanks to the anonymous perso who posted the sidebar in the comments. And thanks to the folks who are keeping Soft Stuff alive.)