By: A.R. Cabral

Screenshot 2021 03 23 at 2.27.55 AM
The Hall CP has two large rooms and a spacious
outdoor eating area. Photos Courtesy of JULIA NIKHINSON

 

All twelve carefully spaced stools at the bar were filled as bartenders mixed colorful cocktails and served up craft beer for guests watching the basketball game on the overhead screen. In the adjacent room, college students congregated at tables fronting a stage at the end of the room. A ping-pong table stood at the ready, and the aroma of coal-fired pizza filled the air.

These scenes of normalcy have made The Hall CP a standout during the pandemic. College Park’s new eatery had only been open for a month when the state issued stay-at-home orders last March.

“It was very upsetting,” reflected Shilo Peers, the marketing coordinator of The Hall CP. “I was just feeling comfortable … I was just getting started, and the old marketing director [and I] were rooted in live music marketing and dreaming of things to do … before everything was derailed.”

The Hall CP aimed to launch as College Park’s hottest venue, with a restaurant, bar and event space all under the same roof. Due to the pandemic, those plans were scaled back when the restaurant reopened in June.

The Hall CP has two large rooms and a spacious outdoor eating area — elements that have allowed for social distancing — and is conveniently located next to a pocket park. According to Peers, the park has turned out to be a real boon.

“Having 13,000 square feet of outside space has been beneficial, even despite the cold weather,” said Amy Larkin, executive vice president of marketing and business development at War Horse Cities, the parent company of The Hall CP. “Customers enjoy sitting outside with a blanket, next to the heaters, having a nice meal with open air flow.”

The Hall CP is active on Facebook and Instagram, and social media has been an essential tool for the venue during the pandemic. Last summer, a video showing off The Hall CP in its summer glow was featured on the popular app, TikTok. That video has garnered over 404.7K views.

But the venue’s innovation doesn’t stop with social media. As the weather gets warmer, Lewis is looking forward to improving the outdoor seating area. Updates will include another snowball stand, a barbeque pit and a taco bar.

The centerpiece of the backyard seating area is a stage, ready and waiting for comedy shows and music, once local regulations relax.

For all the challenges that The Hall CP has faced in its young life, there are also big wins. The young, energetic staff is infused with a sense of comradery, and is nurturing bonds of friendship and community as they’ve faced the pandemic together. Their positivity spills over to guests as soon as they walk through the door. The Hall CP aims to carry that positivity into brighter, post-pandemic days that will see those rooms filled with elbow-to-elbow good cheer.