Like most Baltimoreans, Carly Eutsler, pictured above, grew up eating crabs. “My grandmother, Rita, was from Baltimore, and it was part of what we did as a family,” she says. “Every Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, every holiday, we were doing crabs, steamed shrimp, corn on the cob—the whole Chesapeake thing.”

So it makes perfect sense that when the Catonsville native started working at Nick’s Fish House in 2012 as a server—she’s now one of the Baltimore Peninsula restaurant’s managing partners—she wanted to pass on her passion to the restaurant’s 300,000 visitors a year.

“When people come to Nick’s, we want them to eat, drink, and be merry,” says Eutsler. “We want people to feel good when they are here—that’s the goal.”

There are a lot of crab houses out there. How does Nick’s stand out in the crab house crowd?
It’s the vibe that gets people in the door. The live music outside makes you feel like you’re transported. You’re in Baltimore, but you’re at a destination. You have boats pulling up. You see city life as you look to the Hanover Street Bridge. You see all the cars so you feel like you’re in the city, but you’re also on the water.

How does your food and drink set itself apart?
For the drinks, they’re squeezing fresh oranges and grapefruits for the crushes. We don’t pre-batch anything. We don’t pre-steam our crabs, so they’re not sitting around for a couple days and getting recooked. When we say, “Hey, it’s going to take 20 or 25 minutes for your crabs to hit the table,” that’s the reason.

Where do you source your crabs?
Unfortunately, you can’t have crabs from the Chesapeake Bay year-round because the water freezes. I tell people we have both—as soon as I can pull from Maryland, I pull Maryland. Otherwise, in the off-season, we get them from the Gulf.

How many crabs and crushes do you sell on a busy night?
There are times when we are selling about 2,500 orange crushes in a week of summer and that’s just one flavor. As for crabs, on say Mother’s Day weekend, we might sell 2,200 crabs in a single night.

Why do you think the ritual of eating crabs has such a hold on us?
I think it’s about the taste first, but then it becomes about the social experience. Out-of-towners are like, you have to pick this thing in order to eat it, and then it may not fill you all the way up? But then they realize this is an exciting and fun way to eat. I have guests who drive from Philly every other weekend to get here.

What are some other dishes people should order?
We are Nick’s Fish House—our fish entrees are delicious. Some of the stuff we do when we have rockfish on special is incredible. The steamed shrimp and ahi tuna are great. People love the crab pretzel, and the shrimp and crab eggroll has been a top seller since we put it on the menu—we hand roll those every day.

What are some of the funnier things you’ve seen tourists do with a steamed crab?
I’ve seen people try to eat them with a fork and knife. I’ve seen people just staring at them sometimes. They will literally look at it and they’re like, “What do we do?” We’ve created a how-to video for people to learn while they wait in line.

Outside of Baltimore, Slutty Vegan customers may not know what “slut dust” fries are—that’s spuds sprinkled with Old Bay—but they certainly know the larger-than-life restaurant personality Pinky Cole Hayes, the company’s founder, who has reached celebrity status with her brand of plant-based burgers and retail products, including plant-based dips.

Despite legal woes of the past few years, the brand is still going strong. Cole Hayes has six Slutty Vegan joints around the country, including Atlanta, Dallas, Brooklyn, and Birmingham, but opening on the Baltimore Peninsula last year has been particularly meaningful for the Charm City-born entrepreneur.

“I love the fact that I get to go back to my city and do it right this time,” says Cole Hayes, who also owns Bar Vegan, a plant-based restaurant and bar, on the Peninsula.

When Cole Hayes left Charm City at 17, she was a newly minted graduate of Western High School, where she ran what she calls “an illegal business” out of the school cafeteria selling McChicken sandwiches for double the price.

“The things I learned as a kid,” she says, “apply today as an adult. I had that hustle-and-grind mentality. I don’t take that for granted because it made me stronger and it made me smarter.” (She credits her father, who served more than two decades in prison for his involvement in a drug ring, for her hustle.)

Her ability to hustle has also changed her life. “This brand is the reason I met my husband and the reason why I have children,” says Cole Hayes. “It’s the reason why I became a multi-millionaire. It’s the reason why I’ve been able to travel around the country and help inspire other people. And it’s the reason why I can build that generational wealth—I will never take that for granted.”

From her adopted hometown of Atlanta, we caught up with the entrepreneur to talk about all things Slutty Vegan and growing up in Baltimore.

When did you realize you had a hit on your hands with Slutty Vegan?
I’ve been in the trenches a long time. I’ve seen highs; I’ve seen lows. I knew I was really good at bringing people together. I’m sitting in front of my flagship location and remembering what it meant to have a grand opening here. I created something special that people can love and appreciate. I love to know that people love to consume not just the business but they are obsessed with the brand, making this bigger than just a restaurant—it’s a marketing brand, it’s a clothing line, and it’s really cool.

How did you come up with the concept for the brand?
I worked on the Maury Show [as a producer] and marketing has always been my thing. I know how to get people to pay attention in the weirdest ways. I realized that if I could merge food and sex, it would be a win-win. On the Maury Show, everything is racy and in your face—that’s why he was on the air for 25-plus years. I wanted to create something that would spark people’s attention. When I thought of the name, I was sitting in my two-bedroom apartment—the name Slutty Vegan hit me like a bolt of lightning.

How did you want to change the conversation around vegan food?
I wanted to help people reimagine food. For so long, veganism has been this boring thing. The funny thing is that so many of my customers are carnivores. The best compliment I ever got from anyone was, “Wow, this tastes better than meat!”

I know your dad has given you advice. What did he tell you?
That success is like mud—you have to throw things at the wall and something is going to stick.

How did growing up in Baltimore shape you?
Baltimore made me super brave even in the times when I was scared. I got my independence in Baltimore. I got my first job when I was young, working at the Police Athletic League and Forever 21. I got my license early. I got a car young. My mother gave me the space and opportunity to be independent—no one cradled me. I am grateful my city did that for me.

What has it been like to open a Slutty Vegan here?
Baltimore is a beautiful place and I’m happy that I get to be a part of the new growth of Baltimore, creating opportunities for other people.

Under Armour’s sleek new global headquarters gleams on the edge of the Baltimore Peninsula, shading the crowd gathering along the building’s west facade from the warmth of the rising sun.

They have ventured out on this chilly morning in December to celebrate the grand opening of Under Armour’s Flagship Brand House, a reimagined retail experience that covers 24,000 square feet. It’s billed as the fusion of athletic innovation, passion, and storytelling—the things Under Armour is leaning into to reconstitute its brand identity.

The temperature has barely inched past 20 degrees.

“I thought it would be colder, so I wouldn’t need to talk long, but I’m wearing Under Armour, so I might take a few minutes,” says a mic-wielding Kevin Plank, who’s layered in a logoed navy blue jacket, black zip-up sweater, and pale blue collared shirt. His presumably off-brand black jeans touch the tops of company-issued purple and gray sneakers.

The throwaway line scores chuckles and cheers from the gaggle of onlookers who blow into their hands and grip paper cups filled with complimentary hot chocolate.

Plank stands next to a podium emblazoned with the crisscrossed “U” and “A” that form his company’s iconic logo and turns to acknowledge the local dignitaries who have shown up to support Baltimore’s hometown brand. Mayor Brandon Scott and Councilwoman Phylicia Porter are there. So is University of Maryland’s head football coach, Mike Locksley. WNBA superstar Kelsey Plum, who is on Under Armour’s roster of athlete ambassadors, adds an air of national celebrity to the festivities.

“Today, standing here and surrounded by all of you—I’m just damn proud,” says Plank. “I’m proud of this company, proud of our journey, proud of our resilience. We’re the underdog brand that’s defined by its lunch-pail-carrying, get-the-job done attitude that matches Baltimore’s grit and determination.”

Plank counts down to the official opening of the Brand House and pushes an oversized red button that sets off a burst of pyrotechnics and welcomes the crowd in from the cold as the Towson University marching band plays stadium fight songs.

It’s an intoxicating scene and makes you believe in Under Armour’s unmet potential.

For Plank, it’s an opportunity to turn the page on years of controversies, stagnant sales, and lack of a clear brand identity that caused him to step down as the company’s CEO before retaking the top spot a year ago. He’s back to regain the buzz Under Armour created when it burst onto the scene and reshaped the athletic apparel industry in the 1990s. He understands the challenges ahead and hears the skeptics. He also remembers the first time he beat the odds to launch a revolutionary company from scratch.

“I get reflective on a day like this,” says Plank. “When you’re an entrepreneur and you’re just getting going, you’re constantly looking for validation. Have I gotten better? Are we growing? You’re just trying to find a way.”

Under Armour’s origin story is the stuff of start-up legend. Plank grew tired of wearing sweat-soaked cotton T-shirts under his uniform as special team captain of the University of Maryland football team.

After graduating, he prototyped what would become Under Armour’s signature HeatGear T-shirt, a performance base layer that wicks away moisture to keep athletes dry during intense workouts. It was a game-changing design. HeatGear technology has since redefined the market and informed the design of sports apparel across all brands.

Plank traveled up and down the East Coast, selling the shirt out of the trunk of his car. By the end of 1996, he had earned $17,000 in literal direct-to-consumer sales and launched Under Armour while living and working in his grandmother’s Georgetown rowhome.

Under Armour’s revenue exploded to nearly $300 million by 2005, the year it went public. Annual sales cracked $1 billion in 2010 and continued to climb past $5 billion as the company strung together years of revenue growth of at least 20 percent. However, the company reported a net loss in 2017 as growth slowed to the single digits and stock prices tumbled.

Controversies also began to swirl. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Under Armour with misleading investors about its revenue growth in the second half of 2015, forcing the company to pay $9 million to settle the matter. Under Armour also paid $434 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed in February 2017 that accused the company of defrauding shareholders about its revenue growth to meet Wall Street forecasts.

Under Armour was no longer an industry darling. Plank stepped down as CEO at the end of 2019 but remained onboard as executive chairman and brand chief. Industry analysts generally applauded his decision, believing the company would benefit from a fresh voice and new direction. Plank lasted on the sideline for close to five years before returning as president and CEO in April 2024.

The sudden and surprising move was met with skepticism. Yes, Plank possesses an innate understanding of Under Armour that only a founder can have and grew the company into a multi-billion-dollar business, but some industry analysts wondered if he could fix the problems that he helped create.

“Under Armour seemed to lose sight of its unique selling proposition and, at times, didn’t quite understand its consumer,” says Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, a personal investment firm. “It produced too much of what people didn’t want, particularly during a time when there was already excess inventory in the market.”

HE UNDERSTANDS THE CHALLENGES AHEAD AND HEARS THE SKEPTICS.

With that in mind, Plank immediately announced plans to streamline Under Armour’s product offerings by 25 percent and institute faster go-to-market capabilities. The idea was to spend less time and resources on producing repetitive sportswear so the company could refocus on introducing innovative products that reimagined how active apparel feels and functions.

Plank points to Under Armour’s Stealth-Form Uncrushable Hat, which was introduced a year ago and is made of proprietary cooling material, as the type of forward-thinking design consumers can expect from the company and promises similar types of products are in the pipeline for release later this year.

“Under Armour has made a lot of good products and some better products, but nowhere near enough best-level products,” he says.

During an earnings call last November, the halfway point of the company’s fiscal year 2025, Plank reported $50 million more in adjusted operating income than what the company had forecast. He said half of that found money would be spent on marketing and brand building efforts to deepen the company’s connection with consumers. Plank’s turnaround efforts were beginning to gain traction, but industry analysts warned about a long road ahead in a fragmented athletic apparel industry that makes it difficult for Under Armour to stand out.

“The level of innovation in the market has increased significantly,” says Hewson. “Consumers are interested in purchasing the latest hot product instead of remaining loyal to a brand.”

To make matters worse, Under Armour has lost shelf space at big box retailers that help drive sales. David Swartz, senior equity analyst at the investment research firm Morningstar, says the company used to generate about 40 percent of its revenue through Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority. When Sports Authority went bankrupt in 2016, Dick’s was also struggling financially. Under Armour responded by shifting most of its inventory to Kohl’s, a decision that proved costly.

Although Dick’s didn’t cut ties with Under Armour, it began to reserve prime shelf space for Nike and Adidas and rising newcomers like On and HOKA. Even Puma and New Balance, which have seen a brand resurgence in recent years, are prominently displayed. Under Armour is no longer at the top of Dick’s preferred brands list, preventing it from riding the wave of explosive sales growth the sporting goods chain has experienced in recent years.

Under Armour’s brand visibility took another hit when Kohl’s was forced to close several stores in 2024 due to slumping revenues. Swartz believes Under Armour can improve its retail presence by rebuilding its relationship with Dick’s and prioritizing other stores, particularly Foot Locker, which is diversifying its brand offerings and presents a growth opportunity.

Under Armour’s revenues currently rely heavily on selling discounted products at outlet stores. Plank wants to move away from that business model by creating a premium brand that consumers will pay full price to wear.

“For that to happen, the products need to be high quality, innovative, and deliver on their performance promises,” says Hewson. “Under Armour’s focus on innovating practical sportswear is key. If the company manages to position itself as an aspirational but affordable brand, it can persuade consumers to buy at full price. It’s a delicate balancing act. Products need to be desirable while remaining accessible.”

Under Armour has had a 12-year partnership with NBA superstar Steph Curry, one of the world’s most marketable athletes. The company launched the Curry Brand in 2020 and opened the first brand-dedicated store in China last September. Swartz believes the brand is underdeveloped, despite the enormous popularity of the Curry line of basketball sneakers.

“There hasn’t been a widespread consumer recognition of the Curry Brand as a distinct entity like Nike’s Jordan Brand,” he says.

[UA] WANTS TO MOVE PAST BEING A BRAND THAT SELLS ON PRICE TO ONE THAT SELLS ON STORY.

Rather than venturing into the casual athletic or athleisure market, which companies like Lululemon have successfully mined for significant revenue, Under Armour has remained focused on competing with Nike and Adidas for the attention of 16- to 22-year-old varsity athletes, a core demographic the company targets to maximize its reputation as an authentic team sports brand, a differentiator that Plank believes is key to driving the company’s future success.

Still, Swartz remains relatively optimistic about Under Armour’s prospects in a dynamic global market that offers opportunities for multiple winners.

“The key question is whether Plank can capitalize on those opportunities,” he says. “Shifting from being a niche brand to a serious player in global sports requires investing heavily in marketing and product innovation—and quickly. The competition isn’t standing still.”

Eric Liedtke, Under Armour’s executive vice president of brand strategy, says the company has the reputation of a performance-centric training brand for individuals, and men in particular, who are 34 and older—loyalists who grew up wearing the logo.

He acknowledges that Under Armour has been viewed as a bit too tough and intense in its efforts to connect with younger athletes in the past. Think about the company’s iconic ad campaigns and accompanying visuals. Protect This House. The Only Way Is Through. Scowling, sweat-stained athletes in shadowy portraits.

That will all change, says Liedtke, who vows to express the brand in fresh ways that appeal equally to young male and female team athletes, a demographic the company is “maniacally focused” on reaching.

“We’re going to channel the full energy of the brand into messaging that comes through as determined, passionate, fun, and yes, still a little tough and intense,” says Liedtke. “This positioning will be expressed in the most impactful marketing campaign in the company’s history that includes two chapters—reasons to love us and reasons to buy us.”

Under Armour wants to move past being a brand that sells on price to one that sells on a story, according to Kara Trent, Under Armour’s president of the Americas.

“We know the formula,” she says. “We have a portfolio of teams and athletes. We have product franchises and innovations, and we have the platform established to drive meaningful consumer experiences. But now we must execute integrated stories that drive connection to younger athletes—and do it at a level of impact and repetition like never before.”

Plank is back as Under Armour’s CEO because he wanted to be, and the company’s stock structure gave him the majority voting power he needed to retake the top spot. The power play was controversial among industry analysts, but it’s likely that no other executive would want the company to thrive more than Plank does.

“The one thing that he brings to the role is his unique understanding of what Under Armour is,” says Hewson. “A lot of founding CEOs can’t let go because they haven’t figured out a way to impart that knowledge to somebody else in a way that will make their company successful.”

Is Plank’s passion for the brand born from blood, sweat, and tears enough to drive top-line growth? Time will tell. Change won’t happen in the short term.

During the Brand House’s grand opening celebration, pictures of Plank sitting behind cluttered desks in Under Armour’s former office spaces appear behind him on a large digital screen. He tells the crowd that he came up with the “buy a new desk” mantra to gauge the company’s growth during the white-knuckle start-up days when bills were stacked higher than sales receipts. Business was good, his thinking went, if he could afford larger and more ornate work surfaces.

In 1996, the year Under Armour grossed $17,000, Plank bought a $350 IKEA desk. It wasn’t much, but it represented progress.

As revenues grew, Plank needed to expand Under Armour’s operations. He moved out of the Georgetown rowhome in 1998 and into a small space on South Sharp Street in Baltimore. Buy a new desk. Further growth necessitated moves to moderately sized offices on Bush Street and eventually to a large campus on Tide Point. Buy a new desk.

Plank is now standing outside his company’s latest home, a state-of-the-art facility that glows bright red at night, joining the Phillips and Domino Sugars signs as illuminated landmarks that define Baltimore’s skyline and identity.

Plank recounts Under Armour’s journey to remind the crowd, and perhaps even himself, that the company achieved its greatest success when the odds were stacked against it. Under Armour is once again the underdog. Maybe that’s what it needs to thrive.

“I’m approaching the brand like it’s a $5 billion start-up,” says Plank. “Watch as we show the world how great we can be and make this city proud. We’re just getting started.”

This year we celebrate our 50th Best of Baltimore issue—our biggest and boldest yet. Subscribe before 6/20 to guarantee your copy commemorating this milestone anniversary. 

When Little Wing opened adjacent to ROOST hotel on the Baltimore Peninsula last June, the goal was to create a hybrid gourmet/grab-and-go coffee shop but also a place where customers would want to sit and stay for a while.

“If you go back to what Starbucks was when it started, they always talked about being the third space—not home or work but a third space where you spend your time,” says Brookes Decker, Little Wing director of operations for Method Co., which operates the space. “As that coffee world took off, we lost that third space. But ever since the pandemic, there’s a trend to start creating spaces where people want to spend time again.”

With custom cabinets and hand-painted tile, the intimate space stocked with gourmet goods offers just that, especially for those who want to sink into a sofa in the lobby of the stylish, adjacent ROOST hotel.

“You can grab your coffee and go or sit on the couch and read or bring your laptop and work,” says Decker. “We are trying to create this third space that’s enjoyable and comfortable and warm.”

What is Little Wing’s mission?
I’d call it a general store or provisions shop. The goal was to be a bespoke shop for people who are living on the peninsula or staying in ROOST for a long-term or short-term stay. We saw a place where people would want to grab things that they needed. The plan was for it to be a one-stop shop—it’s convenient but not a convenience store.

Can you talk about how you source the products on the shelves?
We tried to be mindful of how we source the products. First, we want it to be exceptionally delicious. We tried to be local where we can, we tried to support minority groups and underprivileged groups and women entrepreneurs; the majority of our products fall into one of those three categories.

Tell me about some of the products you stock.
Locally, there’s Hon’s Honey, MFG Toffee and Goods, Wight tea, pastry and breads from Kneads, and custom notebooks from Drama Mama bookshop. We also have these delicious gummy candies called La Boîte à Bonbons out of Canada and a really cool brand of potato chips called Hen of the Woods. It was founded by three different chefs who came together because they felt there were no quality potato chips.

What about your food and beverage program?
Our coffee is through La Colombe. They got their start in Fishtown in Philly, where our company started. We are one of the first, if not the first, in Baltimore to carry La Colombe. For our food, we are using high-quality ingredients that are local whenever possible. For example, our caprese sandwich uses local bread from Kneads, Buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and Little Gem lettuce. It’s the best version of what you can get.

What inspired the name Little Wing?
It’s kind of three-pronged. There is Baltimore with all its birds: the Orioles, the Ravens, the brown pelicans on the water, and the idea of birds coming home to roost since it’s in ROOST hotel. It’s also inspired by the fact that everything we do has a little touch of rock ’n’ roll or R&B. There’s a Jimi Hendrix song called “Little Wing.”

You can tell a lot about someone from their laugh. And Chenire Carter delivers a warmhearted infectious roar.

Born and raised in Cherry Hill, the Maryland Institute College of Art alum has worked in her hometown for more than 20 years, through community-centric roles at such places as St. Vincent de Paul, Paul’s Place, and Baltimore City Public Schools. Now at MAG Partners—the lead developer behind the up-and-coming neighborhood rebrand of Port Covington known as Baltimore Peninsula—her focus is on bridging the gap with the surrounding communities.

As Baltimore Peninsula is one of the largest urban revitalization efforts in the United States, with the goal of transforming a former industrial port in an area of historic disinvestment into a vibrant new neighborhood in South Baltimore, hers is a vital role.

We spoke to Carter about the opportunities that the project presents—and its challenges.

What brought you to the Baltimore Peninsula project?
Five generations of my family have lived in Cherry Hill, so when I first heard about the project, I was curious and admittedly apprehensive. When I realized the Baltimore Peninsula wasn’t going to displace existing South Baltimore residents, I saw the potential to channel my love of our city into helping shape a game-changing development.

What work are you doing with the community?
We’re focused on creating increased access to opportunities, because while talent is widespread in Baltimore, opportunity is not. The neighborhoods we work with are often classified as “underserved” or “underprivileged,” but really, I think they’re underestimated—and this is because they historically have not had access to the types of resources that a project like Baltimore Peninsula has.

Through our role in the SB7 Coalition—a unique co-joining of developer and South Baltimore community leaders—we’re working to thoughtfully and intentionally invest in the local communities, whether through funding allocated to the surrounding South Baltimore neighborhoods, technical assistance for local businesses, or partnerships with community organizations that have long been doing meaningful work in our city.

How are you and the development team working to abate concerns?
We take all concerns seriously; we can’t improve without knowing what we should improve on. In my role, I am in constant communication with local residents and community leaders. The number one concern has been, “Is the Baltimore Peninsula for us?” which often speaks to various disparities that many have experienced in their lifetime. Understandably, the community wants to know that the project is truly “for them,” and we’ve made sure this is the case by providing those critical opportunities for success to Baltimoreans first and foremost.

We prioritize our minority-women-owned business contracts and local hiring efforts, and we’re proud to partner with individuals like restaurateur Pinky Cole, who knows the city on a deeper level, and who will be opening two restaurants—Slutty Vegan and Bar Vegan—in the neighborhood later this year.