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Couple falls in love at Oscars event, opens cafe called Corner Bakery

Posted at 11:07 AM, Feb 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-24 11:07:26-05
Most couples fall in love over dinner and at movies, one Baltimore couple's love blossomed through an Oscars event in Los Angeles.
 
Neill and Emily Howell met working at SoHo House in New York in 2004. They worked in different branches of the business and became friends.
 
It wasn't until they were both chosen with a few other coworkers to run a pop-up event in Los Angeles for the Oscars, that they started working more closely.
 
"We had time there as well where we sat by the pool or go out to dinner, and enjoy stuff together, so I think that's where our romance blossomed," Neill said.
 
Emily said they worked two weeks solid, saying it was a work hard, play hard environment.
 
They came back to New York, and she left SoHo House pursuing her passion of graphic design. They stayed together, as each followed their own dreams, got married, had their first child and moved to Baltimore, where Emily is from.
 
They started joking around about starting their own business, "we had kind of a vision of what we wanted to do," Neill said.
 
In 2014 their thoughts became reality, and they opened The Corner Pantry, a cafe with uniquely English cuisine.
 
Emily said their employees refer to them as mom and dad, "she's playing it down, she's the rock of the business (butted to) it gives me time to concentrate on the food so we work well together," Neill said.
 
Emily was eight and a half months pregnant with their second child when they opened February 14, 2014.
 
"So he is kind of like a marker for this place," Emily said.
 
With her design experience and his skills in the kitchen, their life at work and at home has blossomed. Emily said it can be difficult running a business and being there for the kids, but they have a full-time nanny who provides them stability.
 
She added that running the Corner Pantry strengthened her and her husband's relationship, saying they trust one another making decisions for the business if one of them is not present.
 
"Just continually nurturing that you know when you have a three year old you're not kinda thinking about the next child, we're not there yet," Emily said.
 
The couple is working on expanding their catering business along with their customers for the store front.