Bel Air Business Is Finalist In $10,000 'Keep It Local' Contest

BEL AIR, MD — Caprichos Books has made it to the top five in Howard Bank's "Keep It Local" small business contest. Online voting for the contest runs until Friday, July 26.

Howard Bank asked people to nominate their favorite local businesses this spring for a contest to win $10,000. Bank leaders said they wanted to do something to support the local business community. Nominees had to be in Howard Bank's branch footprint, which it defined as Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Cecil, Harford and Howard counties as well as Baltimore City.

The 15 businesses that earned the most nominations were entered into an online contest for $10,000. Based on online votes, the list narrowed to five.

Among the finalists is Caprichos Books, located in the Bel Air Armory Marketplace.

Vote here in the Howard Bank's Keep It Local contest.

Husband and wife team Jeff and Liz Decker held a grand opening for Caprichos Books in August 2018, and the business has taken off ever since. It accepts donated books and finds homes for them, filling Little Free Libraries, redirecting them to other organizations or selling them.

If they won $10,000, the Deckers told Howard Bank they would do the following:

• Host more events to build up the Arts & Entertainment district in Bel Air
• Give to local nonprofit and activity organizations
• Hire part-time help from Penn-Mar Human services, which provides training and job preparation for those with disabilities
• Move to a bigger location to show more books and accommodate more events and people

Voting runs from July 8 to July 26. A winner will be announced Aug. 5.

Here are the finalists:

• ArtFarm Studios in Annapolis
• Caprichos Books in Bel Air
• Domesticity in Baltimore
• Iron Bridge Wine Co. in Columbia
• Rise N' Grind in Rising Sun

Caprichos Books is at 37 North Main Street, Suite 102, Bel Air, MD 21014. It's behind the Bel Air Armory in the Armory Marketplace.