Former Marine to Open 'Cuddling' Business

Have you ever felt like you just wanted someone to hold you? There could be a place in Columbia for that.

Robert Andrews and his wife, Tiffany, are starting a cuddling business called Tender Embrace, and they’re looking to settle down nearby.

“Columbia is a perfect location demographically and geographically, as it hosts a number of corporate headquarters and business-oriented people,” Andrews told Patch.

“Often times it is those people who lack the physical connection that we as a people crave, simply because they are career-focused,” said Andrews, who was in the Marine Corps for nine years and works for a defense contractor.

“The [cuddle] shop allows those people to receive that physical connection with someone that they may not otherwise have time for,” he said.

He and his wife are also interested in Columbia because of its proximity to two major metro areas.

There is no shortage of those who could use a cuddle after enduring one of the worst commutes in the nation—between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Locals may need a hug too; a certain celebrity said Columbia was comparable to prison while filming Veep there.

Related: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Compares Columbia to Prison

Although most properties Andrews has looked at for the brick-and-mortar cuddle hub are in Columbia, he said that Hanover, Linthicum and Elkridge are also on the table.

He said he and his wife are in the early stages of creating the business, trying to see how much interest there is.

“It is still a new concept to people and will take time to catch on to a wider audience,” he said. “A poll taken by CBS DC is currently showing that 25 percent of its readers would pay to cuddle with a stranger and 15 percent are unsure. To me, that shows that 1 out of 4 people, at least, are lonely or just want to be held.”

Would you pay to cuddle? Tell us in the comments!

There is a Q&A on the Tender Embrace website to address any concerns people may have about cuddle sessions, such as what to wear (loose clothing), how to handle “natural reactions” (change position) and whether it’s OK to talk (most certainly).

Cuddlers are “great listeners” who will be nonjudgmental, according to the website, which says that cuddle sessions are ”intended for your complete relaxation and mental refreshment.”

Relaxation and mental refreshment come at a price ranging from $40 to $500 based on the type and duration of cuddling, according to the website.

• A 30-minute cuddle will run $40; an hour, $60; and two hours, $110.
• A double cuddle, in which two people cuddle the client, is $120.
• Overnight cuddles including a movie or TV are available for $500.

There’s a 10 percent discount for first responders and military personnel. Andrews has hired three people—two from military families and one Marine—and is accepting applications. He says: “We are very military and public service (police, fire and EMT) focused.”