Londontowne Pub Owners Overwhelmed by Community Support Following Stabbing

After a man was stabbed inside Blair’s Londontowne Pub and Grill just after midnight on Saturday, its co-owner dreaded reading Patch the following morning.

Paige Blair, who owns the business with her husband Robbie, said she feared a flood of negative comments after the stabbing incident, citing the establishments “rough” reputation. But less than an hour after the story hit Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch’s front page, what she read left her overwhelmed and speechless.

“I was really watching the Patch because of the negative feeling that the community [previously] had about the place. I was thinking ‘Now they’re going to say it all again,’” Blair said.

What she expected was a flood of condemning and negative comments, but what Blair found was an overflow of positivity and an “unbelievable” amount of support from the community.

Almost three years ago in December 2009, Blair and her husband Robbie purchased the Londontowne Pub, aware that it had a “hard” reputation. Their goal was to reshape the culture, give the business a slightly new name and establish the pub as a beloved staple within the surrounding neighborhoods.

“When we bought it, we wanted people to come out and make it a community place—to get rid of the old image,” Blair said. “I would say [the old reputation] was not family friendly and rough.”

Blair knew they were “on their way” to reforming the restaurant’s reputation, but it took a stabbing and some critical commenters for them to realize just how much the community truly appreciated their pub and its new feel.

“I thought there was going to be a lot of negativity. I knew our patrons were nice people, but I didn’t realize that they supported us that much,” Blair said. “I’m so grateful … I’m truly overwhelmed.”

The stabbing occurred inside Blair’s Londontowne Pub and Grill just after midnight on Saturday, according to police. The following night, Blair said her business was bustling with people who specifically wanted to show that the incident wasn’t going to diminish their patronage.

“It was a good night. I was pretty impressed,” she said.

The community’s support of Blair’s Londontowne Pub and Grill all began when a Patch reader said the pub was “filled with a bunch of low class dirt bags.”

Just minutes after the initial comment, a flood of supporters came to defend the establishment, its patrons and the Blairs for devoting themselves to reshaping the pub’s culture.

The Blairs purchased the pub just less than three years ago, and coincidentally, the critics of the business admitted they hadn’t been there in about three years due to their distaste for the restaurant. Commenters who supported the business consistently told critics that the pub had drastically changed in just a three-year span.

Mike H. wrote, “In the last three years under the new ownership it has changed dramatically. I now like it as a local dive bar with decent/good food, great specials. I would like to see the owners continue to improve the restaurant and make it into a hidden gem.”

Another user named Jason told critics, “If you went there lately you would see different.”

Of the 46 comments left on the article as of 3 p.m. on Monday, an overwhelming majority of them openly supported the Blairs and their pub.

Do you feel strongly about Blair’s Londontowne Pub and Grill? on Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch.

Does the stabbing deter you from heading to the local pub? Tell me in the comments.