Rooster & Hen, a country store that sells local, organic produce, baked goods, and flowers, has opened in Federal Hill’s revamped Cross Street Market.
Visitors can find the 1,800-square-foot store just inside the market’s Light Street entrance, across from Ceremony Coffee Roasters. While the store might be in the city, the rustic design will make customers feel as though they have stepped into a rural barn.
The store will be operating on a limited schedule until the Jan. 18 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The owners are stocking up on inventory, which will also include local dairy products, condiments, baking supplies, frozen and prepared foods.
Featuring a full kitchen, the Cross Street Market store will host food pop-ups, workshops, and cooking classes, which debut Jan. 13. Rooster & Hen also packages prepared meal kits, which can be picked up on Mondays.
Owned by husband-and-wife team Joe McRedmond and Allison Smith, Rooster & Hen got its start in Catonsville four years ago as an organic produce market and quickly became a community hub with live music, pop-ups, and other events. The couple closed the store last year to focus on the Baltimore City spot, Smith says.
“It’s a big growth for us that includes a working kitchen and much more than we did at the old store,” Smith told Baltimore Fishbowl. “We have ambitious plans that need our full attention. We also have three kids who need our attention, too, so two locations were out of the question.”
Rooster & Hen is the latest tenant to join the 174-year-old Cross Street Market, redeveloped by Caves Valley Partners and leased by CANAdev. The new design features neon signs, black and white tiles, and more common seating. Recent food and drink merchants that opened include fast-casual plant-based diner Gangster Vegan, Old Line Cocktail & Wine Bar, and the first standalone Royal Farms Chicken stall.
They join longstanding merchants Fenwick’s Choice Meats, Steve’s Lunch, and The Sweet Shoppe. This summer, Atlas Restaurant Group will open a full-service seafood restaurant and a fresh fish market. Two stalls remain available for lease.
