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The Spy last talked to Tom Mitchell in the fall of 2019. At the time, Tom could not have been happier with the rollout of his new fine-dining restaurant, Mamma Maria’s, in downtown Trappe and his early efforts to rebuild the town’s small commercial district.
After a lifetime of professional home runs, including five successful businesses, Tom was the least likely to start a new one during his “golden years.” But after losing his wife Maria to Alzheimer’s disease, he felt one of the best ways to manage that overwhelming grief was to start work again.
For the last five years, he’s done just that. Over that period of time, Tom jokingly suggests he’s bought the town, but the fact is, he and his family-run LLC, Delmarva Management Group (including his daughter, son, and son-in-law), have indeed purchased and started developing most of the historic downtown.
However, as one will note in our latest interview with Tom, the last five years have not been a bowl full of cherries. Shortly after we talked, COVID suddenly threw the entire restaurant business into a tailspin. He and his family found workarounds like catering and carryout to survive, but he had not anticipated the serious impact the Lakeside housing project would have on all their plans to bring Trappe into the same category as desirable communities like Oxford and St. Michaels.
With more than a bit of tongue in cheek, Tom talks now about his campaign to make Trappe great again and proudly wears a red baseball cap to drive home the point that it is time to get past the negativity caused by the land use and wastewater debate and allow Trappe and its residents to thrive again.
This video is approximately nine minutes in length. For information about Momma Maria’s please go here.
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Bless Tom Mitchell and his unbridled entrepreneurial spirit. He’s the energizer bunny, and IMO is doing great things in and for Trappe. My wife and I are among the folks who not infrequently go from our St. Michaels Road community down to Momma Maria’s…never left unhappy. And I learned we share roots in West Baltimore lo many years back, so there’s that.
The one area where we differ, of course, is our view on Lakeside. When we spoke Tom did urge that we put all that controversy out of mind, let bygones be bygones, just turn to the positive. To that, I dissent. Who doesn’t wish the best for Trappe, and the Mitchell family? But it’s not the point.
The point is that Lakeside, a billion-dollar ++ project, is built on a foundation of corruption. And it’s not ancient history; it is with us still. This cannot go unchallenged, even if the 3-member majority now occupying seats on the Talbot County Council chose to turn away from facts. More to follow.
Dan Watson,
Acting Chairman
The Talbot Integrity Project
Dan Watson is correct. Lakeside is not something we can just put behind us. Unless this project is significantly curtailed, it will be an albatross around our area’s neck forever.
A few thousands people visiting the town of Trappe weekly lol. Good thing no fact checking was done with this interview.
Must be that red ball cap they put it on and the BS just comes out.
Good lord, Dan Watson; give it a rest. Not everything is about you and your echo chamber of waterfront millionaire homeowners who hate the affordable housing at Lakeside. You lost. Several times. You really should start directing your energy to other pursuits, like model railroading, collecting stamps or gardening. I know those things don’t have the allure of being a blowhard in the newspaper on a ridiculously frequent basis, but they’re better for your well-being. We’re tired of hearing about this.
Please. Expressing your opinion should not include personal attacks on someone you disagree with.