The vote extends the city’s contract with Compost Crew, a food scrap collection company based in Maryland, and will help the city attain its sustainability goals.

“We certainly are excited about helping as many municipalities as we can to give their residents good options to compost their food scraps and keep them out of the trash and out of incinerators,” said Dan Israel, the company’s senior vice president of municipal programs.

College Park began a food scrap dropoff program in 2019 where citizens could leave their scraps at the public works yard.

The city was surprised by how many residents participated in this program, according to Robert Marsili Jr., the city’s public works director. From 2019 to 2020, the city collected a total of 31 tons of food scraps, Marsili said.

[College Park advances plan for park to support nature, wildlife]

In 2022, the mayor and council approved the start of the curbside collection program and began a contract with Compost Crew, Marsili said.

This program allows residents to buy totes or buckets to store their food scraps at their homes and businesses. The Compost Crew picks up these scraps every Tuesday and later turns them into compost.

As food scraps make up a large portion of the material that gets thrown in the trash, composting reduces the amount of trash that goes to the landfill, according to Israel. These food scraps produce methane gas, which contributes to climate change.

“When you keep it out of the landfill, you turn it into compost, it significantly reduces that methane production,” Israel said.

District 4 council member Maria Mackie said she composted her own vegetable scraps for years with a composter in her backyard. She used the compost for her vegetable and flower gardens.

But the city’s curbside collection program has made the whole composting process a lot more convenient, she said.

[Prince George’s County Council confirms controversial pick to head environment department]

Mackie said the College Park City Council is often very supportive of initiatives to make the city more environmentally friendly, as they strive to be a sustainable example for surrounding municipalities.

“We want our city to be environmentally friendly and we have a responsibility to look out for the environment,” Mackie said.

There are currently about 485 program participants, but Marsili said the city is hoping to get more citizens involved with the program.

Some people are wary about keeping their food scraps because of concerns about the smell and sanitation, Mackie said, but she has never had any issues with the process. Marsili agreed that residents should not have any problems as long as they have the proper containers and understand how to store the scraps.

The city wants to get more off-campus students involved with the program and has been trying to promote it to University of Maryland students, Marsili said.

The food hall houses more than 15 restaurants of varying cuisines. Restaurants such as Tejas Barbecue, Bobby Flay Steak and Detroit Brick Pizza all function out of one kitchen. Customers can enjoy their food in the hall, have it delivered to their homes or order carry-out.

“We have a little bit of everything,” said Ayana Garzillo, a Wonder marketing brand ambassador. “It’s like a one stop shop.”

There are more than 70 Wonder locations across the Northeast, including several in the Washington, D.C., area. The space in College Park has ordering kiosks, seating options, a counter where customers pick up their food and a large kitchen.

Before Wonder’s opening, the chefs cook the entire menu to hone their skills, Garzillo said.

Wonder also partners with Grubhub and offers free delivery to customers. Due to this partnership, customers are also able to order from Grubhub partners, such as Busboys and Poets, through Wonder.

“If you want pizza and your friend wants steaks for dinner, you can all order from the same restaurant and all have delivered at the same time,” Garzillo said.

[Black Lion Café to bring new Ethiopian coffee option to College Park in 2026]

The company’s partnership with Grubhub also allows customers to order Blue Apron meal kits through Wonder, according to Garzillo.

The space now occupied by Wonder used to house The Bagel Place, according to College Park economic development director Michael Williams. The sudden closure of The Bagel Place in 2021 came as a shock to many community members, The Diamondback previously reported.

Williams said the city thought Wonder could successfully cater to the College Park community while filling the large space left behind by The Bagel Place.

“Not only are we the university and a big host of students that we have here in the city, but we have really diversified 17 different neighborhoods,” Williams said.

The College Park location was in the works for more than a year and began its soft opening earlier last week.

Senior kinesiology major Declan Herlihy visited Wonder on the day of its grand opening. He lives down the street from Wonder and wanted to check it out after watching the construction process for months, but said he is skeptical about the food hall model.

[Renowned chef Peter Chang brings Szechuan restaurant to College Park]

Herlihy and his friend Alex Nguyen, a junior physiology and neurobiology major, said they don’t entirely understand how the food hall works.

“When I first walked in, I thought it was just a place that you would get food made specifically by Wonder,” Nguyen said. “And then I saw all these different restaurants.”

Wonder employs many students, Williams said, but stands out as more than just a part-time job due to its equity program, which provides Wonder employees with stocks.

The company is also donating $1 to Food 4 Maryland for every meal sold its first week, according to Rehanna Barre, College Park’s economic development coordinator.

College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir said that Wonder provides community members with a new kind of eating experience.

“It gives multi-restaurant options. As a customer, we can order mixing and matching from different restaurants,” Kabir said. “It’s a kind of unique experience and I don’t think anyone in this area actually has it.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated that Wonder is donating $1 to Maryland Food Bank for every meal sold its first week. Wonder is donating $1 to Food 4 Maryland for every meal sold its first week. This story has been updated.

This funding comes after the federal government shutdown froze SNAP benefits. The shutdown is on day 35 as of Tuesday. Maryland is one of many states that sued the Trump administration for its suspension of SNAP benefits, which help 680,000 Maryland residents afford nutritious foods.

In response to court orders from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Trump administration announced that it will fund half of this month’s SNAP benefits.

“One of the first and most basic priorities of governing is to ensure that families do not go hungry,” Moore wrote in a statement on Monday. “We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our people in these difficult times.

[Here’s where to get free food assistance in Prince George’s County]

Moore previously declared a state of emergency in Maryland on Oct. 30 in response to economic disruption caused by mass layoffs of federal workers and essential benefits, including SNAP, being cut off.

An additional $10 million from the Maryland Fiscal Responsibility Fund — which holds excess tax revenue that pays for projects not allocated in the state budget — would also be provided to Maryland food banks and food assistance organizations, Moore announced on Oct. 30.

Maryland comptroller Brooke Lierman released a statement applauding Moore for his decision to release funding for SNAP benefits.

Lierman wrote that SNAP not only provides families with essential nutrients but helps boost the economy by supporting more than 13,000 jobs and millions of dollars for Maryland food producers.

[Prince George’s County food banks feeling pressure from high demand, loss of SNAP benefits]

In a campuswide email on Tuesday, University of Maryland president Darryll Pines expressed hope that Moore’s release of funds will help support Maryland residents.

“These difficult times remind us that we are a connected community of care, driven by values that define who we are at the University of Maryland,” Pines wrote in the email.

It’s unclear if state governments will be reimbursed by the federal government for supplementing the partial funds for SNAP benefits, according to Moore’s news release.

“No state can fill the enormous gap created by Donald Trump and his administration,” Moore wrote in his Monday statement. “It’s time for the federal government to do its job and fully fund food assistance.”

The change came after federal judges’ rulings in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that Trump’s administration must preserve funding for the program following the federal government’s initial distribution pause of all new SNAP benefits effective Nov. 1.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced Monday that $62 million in state funding will go to covering the month of November’s SNAP benefits for residents. This announcement came after the Democrat declared a state of emergency.

[Prince George’s County food banks feeling pressure from high demand, loss of SNAP benefits]

SNAP benefits provide low-income families with the support they need to afford nutritious foods. In Prince George’s County, more than 110,000 residents depend on the benefits.

Here’s where community members can receive food assistance at no charge.

UMD Campus Pantry

Located on the ground floor of the South Campus Dining Hall, this pantry provides food for any University of Maryland student, faculty or staff member in need.

Faculty and staff need to register before visiting and can visit the pantry twice per month, while students just need to bring their university ID card and a reusable bag.

College Park Community Food Bank

The College Park Community Food Bank, an independent nonprofit founded in 2008, distributes food every Saturday morning from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at 9704 Rhode Island Ave.

The food bank mainly operates as a drive-thru and does not require any paperwork or information besides individuals’ zip code and family size. Families in need can expect a mix of fresh produce and non-perishable foods, such as canned produce, protein and rice or pasta, according to its website.

Mission of Love Charities Food Pantry

The food pantry provides food to residents of Prince George’s County, as well as those across the region. The pantry is open Monday through Friday at 6180 Old Central Ave. in Capitol Heights.

The pantry offers a different selection of food each day as it depends on donations from various organizations throughout the week. Some of the food pantry’s donors include Costco, Starbucks and Target.

[Here’s what to know about the nationwide pause in SNAP benefits]

In addition to the food pantry, Mission of Love Charities offers rental, security deposits and utility assistance, behavioral and mental health services, and interpretation services.

Community Outreach and Development CDC – Labor of Love Human Services Center

This center, located in Capitol Heights, houses a food pantry that is open Monday through Friday. Prince George’s County residents can receive three days’ worth of meat and basic foods.

Other perishable food items, such as fresh produce, are distributed by the pantry a few times per month. The center also offers tax preparation services and can provide diapers as they are available.

United Natural Foods, Inc., announced late October that Shoppers’ College Park, Laurel, Capitol Heights and Germantown locations will close on or before Nov. 8.

“As we work to strengthen our retail business for the future, we’re taking steps to optimize our footprint where necessary while continuing to enhance the customer experience in our remaining stores,” UNFI, the owner of Shoppers, wrote in a statement to The Diamondback.

The Shoppers College Park employees found out about the store’s closure in mid-October but were not told why, the store’s product manager Deyci Castillejos said. Castillejos said management is moving ahead with preparation to close the store.

[Renowned chef Peter Chang brings Szechuan restaurant to College Park]

District 3 Prince George’s County council member Eric Olson said he had previously heard about the possibility of Shoppers closing, but he was not officially made aware until late last week.

Five Prince George’s County council members, including Olson, sent a letter to UNFI’s CEO asking to meet and discuss the closures.

The letter details the council members’ concerns regarding UNFI’s decision to close the Shoppers locations, which they believe will result in a “food desert.”

Olson said the council members hope to discuss the company’s responsibility to the local market and strategies in keeping these stores open with UNFI’s CEO.

“This is not in the public interest at all,” Olson said.

Some frequent customers of Shoppers College Park have expressed disappointment over losing the grocery store.

College Park resident Chinoye Ndubueze, who works as a pharmacy tech and attends University of Maryland Global Campus, said she enjoys Shoppers’ affordability and close proximity to her apartment.

Ndubueze said she worries about who will take over the space after Shoppers officially closes down.

“They have to replace it with a store or grocery store that is affordable in pricing, especially right now where the prices for food and everything has gone up,” Ndubueze said.

[After 50 years of serving up late-night bites, College Park’s Marathon Deli eyes expansion]

Castillejos, who has worked at various Shoppers locations for about 19 years, said she is also wondering how this closure will affect her.

She said she’s still waiting to hear from the union she’s a member of about the status of her job.

“Based on my experience … I do not have a need to start another job, but I hear that people are struggling,” Castillejos said.

Olson said he is hoping the Prince George’s County Council will be able to work with UNFI to keep Shoppers open.

Grocery stores are a necessity to the community because they are profitable and provide job opportunities to community members, Olson said.

District 1 College Park council member Jacob Hernandez said if UNFI moves forward with closing Shoppers, the city will welcome future vendors that can fulfill the role the store had in the community.

“This is an ideal space for any future vendor to come be a part of the College Park community,” Hernandez said.

Matthew Famularo, the manager of Peter Chang Kitchen & Bar, said the restaurant serves some of the “most authentic Szechuan” cuisine available in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.

“I’ve been told by people who come through here that this is the closest thing that they’ve had to food they actually eat back home,” he said.

Peter Chang partnered with MeatUp Korean BBQ & Bar in College Park, which opened in 2023, The Diamondback previously reported. When MeatUp closed on Aug. 3, Chang took over the location and opened Peter Chang Kitchen & Bar in the same building later that month.

The restaurant serves a variety of cold dishes, such as hot chili oil beef tendon, as well as its signature pork dumplings and many noodle and rice dishes with vegan options.

Chang trained to become a chef in China and moved to the United States to become the chef at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. He now operates several restaurants around the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, including NiHao in Baltimore.

[After 50 years of serving up late-night bites, College Park’s Marathon Deli eyes expansion]

According to Famularo, Chang frequents the College Park restaurant as well as his other locations across the region. Famularo said his talent is very apparent during these drop-ins, and that he runs events for diners with dishes such as the Peking duck.

“That’s always very fun and interesting to watch. You can tell he knows what he’s doing,” Famularo said. “He’s a total pro.”

District 1 College Park City Council member Alan Hew said the restaurant’s cuisine is different from the Western-style Chinese food that many Americans are accustomed to.

Hew said having this kind of authentic cuisine is important to recognize China’s many different regional food styles with which Westerners are not always familiar.

“To have as many regional, non-Western focused Chinese restaurants is a blessing,”  Hew told The Diamondback. “To be in one city and have various, multiple choices of styles … it brings us opportunities.”

[New College Park Aviation Museum exhibit highlights first Black-owned, operated airport]

Hew added that the opening of this restaurant reflects College Park’s diverse population of both students and residents, and hopes Chang’s cuisine can bring students comfort by serving up food that reminds them of home.

Archica Naik, a junior computer science major at the University of Maryland, visited Peter Chang Kitchen & Bar for the first time with her friends to celebrate her 20th birthday.

Naik said she enjoyed the restaurant’s ambience as well as its many vegetarian options and wide assortment of teas.

“It’s affordable, so it’s good for college students,” Naik said. “And it’s something closer to this side of campus, near the CS building, and it has a good variety of options for students to try and spend time.”

Hew said he commends Chang’s decision to bring his cuisine outside of major cities like Washington, D.C., and College Park’s work in supporting diverse restaurants.

“I’m proud of the efforts that the city has been making into really wonderful restaurants that will bring people in from other parts of the state,” Hew said.

The family-owned small business, which operates two locations in Montgomery County, signed a lease to become one of Union on Knox’s newest retailers, according to Terrapin Development Company president Ken Ulman.

“We’re really excited about being able to have a locally-owned café,” said Ulman, who is also the University of Maryland College Park Foundation’s chief strategy officer for economic development. “They build out beautiful stores. They are committed to great coffee, first and foremost, from Ethiopia.”

Neima Tahir, the manager of Black Lion Café’s Silver Spring location, said the café places an emphasis on fresh coffee and roasts its premium beans in-house.

Ethiopian coffee, Tahir said, has a different taste from the coffee that most people are used to. Black Lion Café also gets its coffee beans straight from farmers, according to Tahir.

[College Park advances plan for park to support nature, wildlife]

Each location’s menu differs, but every spot offers a variety of pastries, coffee and tea. The Silver Spring location also offers salads and sandwiches. Tahir said the café’s upcoming College Park location will also feature a natural design concept of neutral colors and greenery.

“That cozy and that homey feeling — that’s what we’re trying to create,” Tahir said.

According to Tahir, the café will be a place for the College Park community to feel comfortable hanging out and doing their work while enjoying its atmosphere, coffee and pastries.

Katelyn Kilgore, a sophomore government and politics major who lives off campus, said she will definitely check out Black Lion Café due to its convenient location.

The addition of Black Lion Café is part of the Union on Knox development, which is led by the Terrapin Development Company and real estate developer Greystar.

The project is a student housing development with a focus on retail engagement. Ulman said Union on Knox is striving to incorporate a mix of nationally-known brands, such as Shake Shack and Insomnia Cookies, and local brands, such as Black Lion Café.

Black Lion Café is one of several businesses slated to open in the strip of retail space on the ground level of the apartment complex, including Berries & Bowls and Duck Donuts. Ulman said the café still needs to receive permits for its College Park location, but he predicts it will open sometime in Spring 2026.

[These 3 College Park City Council members are not seeking reelection]

Black Lion Café will be located on the campus-facing side of Union on Knox, so Ulman thinks it will be a great addition for both University of Maryland students and the greater College Park community.

Kayla Harrison, a freshman microbiology major, said she frequents cafés both on and off campus. Due to the large size of this university’s campus, Harrison said having a variety of cafés around campus is important to ensure that everybody has easy access to these spaces.

“People need to have a safe space that’s secluded and less crowded than like a giant library or a giant study room,” Harrison said. “Everyone has such a shared love for cafés.”

A vacant, overgrown space on Roanoke Place is slated to become a serene pocket park with native plants and wildlife, according to Kelly Jordan, the co-president of the Berwyn District Civic Association.

The College Park City Council accepted a grant application for the park in mid-September in response to community input. The grant application will be reviewed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the Community Parks and Playgrounds Program. If approved, construction could begin in 2027.

“Where you have a public space that can be used to bring a number of people to the space and use it in a way that is beneficial, it helps to build that sense of community,” District 2 council member Llatetra Brown Esters told The Diamondback.

Esters said the land was originally purchased by the city from the College Park Volunteer Fire Department a few years ago and remains vacant.

[These 3 College Park City Council members are not seeking reelection]

College Park’s planning and community development department received funding to figure out how the space could be used, according to Jordan. After finding that the area was in a floodplain with invasive species, they realized the land could not hold normal structures.

The civic association formed a committee for parks and open spaces about two years ago and worked with the city as they acquired this land and decided how to best use it, Jordan said. They conducted a survey to hear from Berwyn community members about what they should do with this area. The community decided on a nature wildlife park concept, according to Jordan. 

“We really want the park to be used,” Jordan said. “We want it to be enjoyed by all the residents, so I think that kind of engagement is really important for making sure that we’re delivering the kinds of things that the residents want.”

[Prince George’s County couple hosts local walks, plans to open running specialty store]

With bird and bat houses, pollinator plantings and plenty of green space, the Berwyn community’s vision offers a peaceful experience for citizens while promoting conservation efforts. 

District 4 council member Maria Mackie told The Diamondback that the city tries to be mindful of its effect on the environment and its carbon footprint as officials attempt to lead Maryland conservation efforts.

While they have developed plans for this space, the park is on hold until fiscal year 2027, according to Jordan. The city must wait to hear back about the grant and wait for work finish on the Duvall Field renovation project. The park is projected to be completed by 2028.

Jordan said the civic association will likely be involved in maintaining the park after its eventual construction, including overseeing the removal of invasive plants, weeding and watering of the area.“The parks in Berwyn are near and dear to our hearts, and we want to make sure that everything is moving along and running smoothly,” Jordan said.

The Micromobility Workgroup, composed of university staff and students, recommended the policy to address safety concerns regarding micromobility vehicles, vice president and chief administrative officer Charles Reuning and University of Maryland Police chief David Mitchell wrote in a campuswide email.

“With this new interim policy, we hope to further safety and reduce head injuries. Our long-term goal is to continue to nurture a safety culture across UMD for everyone who travels across our campus,” the letter read.

The temporary policy states that any undergraduate or graduate student who does not wear a helmet while operating a micromobility vehicle on campus will be referred to the student conduct office.

[UMD students express relief, concern after electric scooter ban for on-campus residents]

A micromobility vehicle is defined as any electric, battery-powered, solar-powered or manually–operated vehicle. This includes manual and electric bikes, skateboards and scooters.

This new policy comes after the university’s Department of Transportation Services announced that students living in residence halls, university-owned fraternity and sorority houses, or South Campus Commons apartments could not bring their personal electric mobility vehicles to campus this year.

The university announced that the new policy went into effect Aug. 1, citing the danger of these vehicles’ lithium-ion batteries and the lack of charging stations on campus to support a large number of privately owned electric micromobility vehicles.

DOTS is providing discounted helmets at its office in Regents Drive Garage.

Arepa Zone’s College Park location is its first opportunity to introduce the Maryland community to its fast-casual Venezuelan cuisine, according to Gabriela Febres, the restaurant’s co-owner and founder.

Febres and Ali Arellano founded Arepa Zone in 2014 with a food truck after realizing that their community lacked Venezuelan food spots, Febres said.

“We realized that the Venezuelan community also needed a place to gather, and we consider ourselves ambassadors of our culture,” Febres said. “So it’s for the Venezuelan community to gather, but also to introduce people that have never tried it before.”

The restaurant’s owners included a Chipotle-inspired area for people to watch their food being prepared and a Venezuelan market. The College Park location is also their first restaurant with a full bar that serves 10 cocktails inspired by Venezuelan culture.

“It’s a step in a different direction from what we’ve been doing for the past 11 years,” Febres said.

Febres said the College Park location serves a different crowd than they are used to in their Washington, D.C., location, but they are excited to begin educating this community of students and residents about their culture.

By serving food options for all three meals, selling Italian coffee and providing free WiFi, Arepa Zone hopes to cater to the student population and become a place for students to study.

[Maryland Tandoor brings an affordable taste of Indian cuisine to College Park]

Madeline Anson, a senior computer science major, braved the rain to visit Arepa Zone for the first time on Saturday. She enjoyed a chicken arepa and watched the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“I like having more Hispanic food options available,” Anson said. “I love trying foods from different cultures. I think it’s great for a college area.”

Febres and Arellano secured Arepa Zone’s College Park lease in the Aster apartment complex in 2022, Febres said.

Ken Ulman, Terrapin Development Company’s president, said Arepa Zone fits in well with the other businesses already in the Aster complex and brings something new to the College Park community.

The Aster is a joint venture of the Terrapin Development Company, Bozzuto Development and Willard Retail, according to Ulman, who is also the University of Maryland’s College Park Foundation’s chief strategy officer for economic development. Other retailers in the development include Trader Joe’s and Crunch Fitness.

“We really try to talk to different types of food offerings that we don’t currently have in the market,” Ulman said.

Sofia Fuenmayor, Febres’ sister, attended the grand opening to show support for her sister’s business and effort to reach the new community of students.

[Here’s what changed in College Park’s business scene this summer]

“It’s a good way to have people try foods that are outside of the tacos and the typical Hispanic food that people usually know,” Fuenmayor said. “Venezuela is a country whose cuisine is known worldwide, so I think it’ll be cool for college students to know it better.”

Dedicated to developing Arepa Zone’s bar experience, Febres said they are thinking about developing tasting events for people to experience a variety of Venezuelan dishes paired with different cocktails.

For now, Febres said the owners are focused on reaching the surrounding community and educating them about Venezuelan food.

“We want it to become like a neighborhood friendly place where people can come over and over again,” Febres said.