Charleys Philly Steaks
 Charleys recently opened in the Bowie Town Center
 Charleys has an assortment of menu options
The BDS recently assisted Charleys Philly Steaks in the permitting process for one of their newest franchises in the Bowie Town Center, which opened on January 1, 2021. Established in 1986, Charleys Philly Steaks is an American restaurant chain headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The franchise was established in on the campus of Ohio State University. The restaurant has an assortment of menu items such as The Philly Cheesesteak, chicken wings, gourmet fries made fresh per order, and real fruit lemonades made with 100% real fruit. For more information, visit Charleys Bowie Town Center.
Starting a Mobile Service Business
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many entrepreneurs are literally taking their business to the streets by starting mobile operations. Some traditional storefront and office-based businesses are venturing going mobile to reach a larger customer base, provide customer convenience and reduce the overhead involved with a stationary location. Before you invest in a mobile venture, it is important to confirm that you may operate the business in your community or the community you wish to start mobile operations.
At this time, mobile businesses in Prince George’s County are limited to food trucks and ice cream trucks. People often contact the BDS to inquire about operating mobile grocers, barber shops, hair salons, boutiques, florists and pet grooming services, as well as food trucks. Most food trucks may only operate during special events such as festivals, fairs and carnivals or within food truck hubs, which are designated locations where food trucks may be licensed to operate. Only ice cream trucks may currently move throughout the County.
To apply for a Food Truck License, applicants may apply for a Mobile Food Service Facility Permit (individual license) or a Special Food Service Facility Permit (Food Truck Hub License). Additional information about the application process and food truck hubs can be found at this link.
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ePlan Monthly Virtual Training
New building and residential project applications must be submitted through the ePlan process. For customers new to the ePlan system, DPIE offers free monthly virtual ePlan Training sessions. Customers are trained on completing online applications and uploading plans for review. The sessions are held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon the third Thursday of each month via Zoom.
The next training is scheduled for March18th. Enrollment is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in attending must register by the second Thursday of the month via the ePlan Virtual Customer Training link. The following manual should be reviewed and printed out to bring to the virtual training. Those applicants who are unable to attend the class may review the following video. It explains the ePlan process step by step. Additional information about the ePlan training may be found on the DPIE main page.
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EXTENDING YOUR PERMIT
If you need to extend your permit, the extension must be submitted within 30 days of expiration and may be granted for two 6-month extension periods. Listed below is the link to the form that should be sent to the attention of the DPIE Permit Center manager. The extension form can accessed at this link.
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APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL EVENT USE AND OCCUPANCY (U&O) PERMIT
With spring around the corner, customers may want to host a special event. Permits are needed for events such as concerts, flea markets, festivals and carnivals. Applications are submitted online at DPIE’s online application portal . Applications should be submitted 45 days prior to the event – no less than three weeks beforehand – to ensure DPIE review and approvals are completed. More information can be found here.
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Funding Opportunities
Economic Development Incentive Fund
The Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has an EDI fund with goals to expand the County’s commercial tax base, job retention and attraction, support for small and local businesses, promotion of development and redevelopment opportunities, as well as transit-oriented development. For more information visit the Economic Development Corporation website.
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PFC Black Chamber Open Door Fund
The People for Change Coalition (PFC) Black Chamber has announced the COVID-19 Open-Door Fund, which provides grants to small businesses in Prince George’s County. The fund provides between $1,000 to $3,000 on a rolling basis to businesses that have been open since 2019. Click the Open Door Fund link for details.
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Rural and Underserved Business Recovery from Impact of COVID-19 (RUBRIC)
The RUBRIC program provides economic relief to rural and economically-disadvantaged businesses. The program focuses on recently-opened tech companies that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, click here.
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