The Collective Columbia celebrates third anniversary
Local residents love OFFSHORE restaurant and ENCORE live music venue
COLUMBIA, MD — June 15, 2026 — Two local couples with tremendous vision joined forces a few years ago to transform the ground floor of the Teachers Building located on Wincopin Circle overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi into THE COLLECTIVE.
Staci Samaras and Randy Smith partnered with Josh and Joyce Butts to open the co-branded concept featuring the coastal-themed restaurant OFFSHORE and live music venue ENCORE on May 3, 2023. Howard County residents have embraced the innovative dining and entertainment concept which anchors downtown Columbia’s rejuvenated Lakefront District and recently celebrated its third anniversary.
“We are now the stewards of this iconic space for the next generation, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Samaras said. “Offshore and Encore have really energized the lakefront and are driving people to downtown Columbia.”
“The Collective has become a vibrant, community-focused part of the Merriweather District,” said Kristi Smith, President of the Maryland Region for Howard Hughes Communities. “By showcasing local artists and expanding dining options at the Lakefront, The Collective Offshore and Encore have helped create a gathering place that reflects the spirit of Columbia.”
The Collective 13 Hospitality Group, an independent restaurant group helmed by the two couples, operates both concepts. Offshore offers a seasonal menu with a split of about 60% seafood and 40% land-grown items, while featuring hand-crafted coastal recipes that represent traditions from New England to the Carolinas. A redesign of the former Clyde’s space welcomes patrons with sweeping lakefront views and bright coastal-themed décor that features indoor & outdoor seating options, two private dining spaces and a bar area. A popular offering has been the buffet brunch held every Saturday and Sunday.
Managing Partner Samaras and her husband Randy Smith have taken charge of curating Encore, which has emerged as one of the premier live music venues in Maryland. The Ellicott City residents, who are well known in the music community as founding members of 1970s rock tribute band Foreplay, modified the room setup to reserved table seating that can accommodate 160 people. There is standing room in the bar area that increases the occupancy to 175 when offered upon a seated sellout. Doors open an hour before showtime to welcome guests who wish to come early for a drink or dine at their table. Guests can also dine next door at Offshore and take their seats just before showtime.
“It’s purposefully designed to be a listening room for a seated concert experience. Encore delivers an intimate environment with no bad seats,” Samaras said. “Our musicians love the stage, the sound and the vibe of the overall space as much as our guests.”
Encore has emerged as one of the premier live music venues in Maryland, presenting upwards of 250 concerts per year. Add in other entertainment offerings and there is rarely an off night.
Howard County residents have flocked to Encore to see such notable singer-songwriters as Shemekia Copeland, Morgan James, Paul Thorn and Dan Navarro, big name bands Fastball and Trixter, national touring tributes Zoso (Led Zeppelin), Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) and Abacab (Genesis) along with regional favorites Deanna Bogart, Chuck Brown Band and Crack the Sky.
Encore has also become home to an eclectic mix of recurring events including Tuesday night Theme Trivia with SPRK Trivia, Dueling Pianos with the Flying Ivories, storytelling with Historians on Tap, Boozy Book Fair with Queen Takes Book and various Music Bingo events. It also partners with Fever Originals on multiple unique, exclusive experiences such as Dining in the Dark, the Jazz Room and Candlelight Concert Series.
Samaras said Encore welcomes all manner of private events such as weddings, family celebrations and business events. It hosts Business Women’s Network of Howard County’s monthly luncheon series as well as a wide range of charity functions, including Blossoms of Hope’s signature event Beer, Bourbon and Blues and other annual events such as The Collective’s New Year’s Eve Party.
Encore also periodically hosts the WTMD Live Lunch that features local artists performing acoustic sets for which admission is free. Kashus Culpepper, a national touring musician who performs a gritty blend of country, soul, blues, folk and Southern rock, appeared at Encore for a Live Lunch on May 12.
“There is no space like this in Howard County. Not only is it a top notch music venue, but also a completely self-contained private event space, complete with a separate entrance, bar, stage with in-house AV, sound & lighting system, private restroom and green room and a dedicated kitchen,” said Samaras, noting that concert-goers and private event hosts also appreciate the caliber of culinary offerings available at Encore considering its affiliation with Offshore.
Danny Schwartz serves as talent buyer for Encore and has no trouble booking top-flight musical acts now that word has spread about the quality of the venue, including its elite sound system and lighting setup.
Schwartz believes Encore has found the perfect formula for the room with average ticket prices ranging $20 to $35 for regional and tribute bands, $35 to $50 for national touring acts. He credits Samaras for leaning into tribute bands as those are quite popular with the local audience.
“Staci was able to gauge what the people of Columbia were interested in. We provide a professional experience at a reasonable price for people that want to come out and live in the nostalgia of their favorite music,” Schwartz said. “It’s a really nice room and we have set a high bar in terms of the quality of musicians we book.”
John Lamkin III of Lamkin3 Entertainment is a disc jockey (DJ Lampdawg), producer and musician whose R&B and Hip-Hop Bingo Brunch has become wildly popular among Encore regulars, selling out every time. He has curated a wide range of other shows at the venue and had high praise for the sound system.
“That sound system is ridiculous! Whether it’s R&B, classic rock or hard rock — they make it sound incredible,” Lamkin said. “You have to give a shoutout to the engineers that run the boards behind the scenes. It’s a state-of-the-art sound system being operated by people who really know what they’re doing.”
Lamkin called the location of The Collective “phenomenal” and noted there is ample free parking in a public garage located right across the street.
“I’ve worked a lot of places and this room is as good as it gets. It’s not too big and not too small,” he said. “They have a great setup in terms of the room, which looks and sounds fantastic.”
Glenn Workman has taken the stage at Encore a total of 15 times with five different bands. He is founder of Technicolor Motorhome, an acclaimed Steely Dan tribute that has been around for 15 years. Workman said every aspect of working with Encore management is “smooth and easy.” He described it as an “upscale” venue that is very well equipped in all respects.
“If it sounds good and looks good then you’re 90 percent there and Encore has those two elements down pat,” Workman said. “They are incredibly nice people to work with and really take great care of the bands.”
Another programming staple of Encore has been its Wednesday night Local Artist Spotlight Series showcasing all manner of regional talent. Workman appreciates that Encore supports local artists and brings in a wide variety of musical acts, “which is what a good music venue does. I know people that go there a dozen times a year to see shows,” he said. You can see Glenn again on July 22 with his high energy instrumental classic rock band, Shermanator.
To learn more about ENCORE and view upcoming shows visit https://thecollectiveencore.com/ . For more information on OFFSHORE visit https://www.thecollectiveoffshore.com/
About The Collective 13 Hospitality Group
The Collective 13 is an independent restaurant group based in Columbia, Maryland that operates The Collective Columbia concepts Offshore (coastal-themed restaurant) and Encore (live music venue) at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront. Learn more at https://www.thecollectivecolumbia.com/.