Cerando's Kitchen and Bistro, an Ellicott City prepared-foods and grocery store turned restaurant, has closed after struggling for a year with trying to find its place in the market.

Jerry Cerand, the owner, could not be reached, but a message on the company answering machine announced that the shop closed this month and thanked "all our regular patrons who have visited us over the last year."

The store opened in the Golden Triangle between U.S. 40 and U.S. 29 in June last year and specialized in prepared foods to go and gourmet items, including a section of summer vegetables direct from Howard County farmers. But when the concept apparently did not stick with dinnertime commuters looking for a quick meal, Cerand revamped and turned part of the store into a bistro in February -- serving lunch and dinner six days a week.

The company regularly had a tent at the county farmers' market, where Cerand prepared samples of food that visitors could find at his store and make with the produce they bought from the market.