Konkrete Jungle Opens in Elkridge with Little Fanfare, Lots of Fans

Lines were out the door the day Konkrete Jungle Kustom Tattoos opened for business in Elkridge.

Between 200 and 300 people turned out for the shop's Jan. 7 grand opening, estimated manager Sarah Peca. She said the event wasn't publicized in the news, and credited the tattoo artists with the crowds that spilled onto benches outside the Lark Brown Shopping Center.

"Our guest artists brought their followings," she said, noting two prominent tattoo artists from New Jersey came in for opening week.

Guest artist Amy Nicoletto's station was buzzing with activity on Saturday. The starlet from the TV show LA Ink was in town until Jan. 14, said Peca.

Pete Delia was the other guest artist, according to Peca, visiting from the studio where Nicoletto works in New Jersey.

Konkrete Jungle's staff includes four tattoo artists: store owner Chris Peca, his wife Sarah Peca, Halo and Danny. There's also a piercing artist named Jon and a spot for a rotating guest artist.

Konkrete Jungle moved to Elkridge from Baltimore City, where it was located for two years but "we needed to expand," said Sarah Peca.

Though they knew there was a demand for their art, "We never could have imagined it would be this big," said Chris Peca at the grand opening, facing a waiting room full of people waiting to be tattooed.

Konkrete Jungle is located at 6590 Old Waterloo Road and is reachable at 443-661-4033. The shop is open Monday–Thursday from 12–7 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 12–9 p.m.; and Sunday, 12–6 p.m. 

Stay tuned for a follow-up article with more details about Konkrete Jungle's philosophy and its move from Baltimore to Elkridge/Columbia.

This article was updated at 6 p.m. on Jan. 11 to reflect that the owner's name is Chris Peca. Patch regrets the error.