(Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun)
These Baltimore-area restaurants have closed permanently since the coronavirus pandemic began
Experts in 2020 predicted that anywhere from half to 85% of restaurants would permanently shutter because of the coronavirus. The numbers have not proved that dire. But since the pandemic began, the Baltimore region has bid farewell to the following eateries, from recently opened fast-casual restaurants to stalwart cafes, longtime bars and storied fine dining establishments.
(Christina Tkacik)
Lobo Fell’s Point
The Lobo bar and restaurant in Fells Point will close after six years of operation, the latest city establishment to close its doors due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun)
Alexander Brown Restaurant
Following an extensive renovation of one of Downtown Baltimore’s oldest surviving buildings, the Alexander Brown Restaurant was one of the most anticipated openings in recent city memory. But owners shuttered it this May. Jess Anderson, brand and public relations director for Oxford Commons, the Florida group that owned the restaurant, said “it was not sustainable” for the Alexander Brown to be closed for such a long period of time. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun)
Rams Head Tavern Savage
The Rams Head Group announced in May that it would close its location in Savage rather than renew the 20-year-lease on the historic mill where it was located. (Nate Pesce/Baltimore Sun Media Group)
The Greene Turtle Fells Point
After 34 years in Fells Point, the Greene Turtle closed in the end of June. Owner Bill Packo’s Facebook post announcing the closure did not state whether the coronavirus had contributed to the decision. Packo’s wife, Jill Packo, also owned Towson’s Greene Turtle, which shuttered its doors in April after 16 years and reopened as The Backyard Uptown. (Posted by Brian Murphy, Community Contributor)
Milton Inn
Housed in an 18th century mansion, the Milton Inn in Sparks was a fixture of Baltimore County’s dining scene going back 70 years. In a statement posted to the restaurant’s website in June, chef and owner Brian Boston, who took over in 1997, wrote: “Unfortunately, the COVID 19 pandemic was one challenge I couldn’t overcome. Our financial losses are overwhelming and I find it impossible to re-open.” (Barbara Haddock Taylor, Baltimore Sun)
Ciao Bella in Little Italy
After nearly three decades in Little Italy and recent backing from former Ravens player Ray Lewis, owners of Ciao Bella called it quits. “We wanted to give it one last try. We all tried very hard to bring it back to life, however, for obvious reasons we were not able to continue,” they wrote in a July 2 Facebook post. (Barbara Haddock Taylor / Baltimore Sun)
Ryleigh’s Oyster
The Federal Hill spot closed in May after 20 years. Owner Brian McComas cited Baltimore’s crime and leadership as laying the groundwork for his decision, topped off with the uncertainty of limited reopenings amid the coronavirus pandemic. Another location in Mt. Vernon closed in 2017. (Amy Davis)
City Cafe
“It breaks our hearts to say farewell, but since there is so much sadness in the world already, let’s focus on the remarkable success this once little coffee shop (founded September 1994) became,” owners Bruce Bodie and Gino Cardinale announced in an Instagram post in May. (Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)
Maisy's
“This is not how I envisioned it all coming to an end but not all stories have a happy ending,” Matt Helme, the owner of the Mt. Vernon eatery wrote in a June Facebook post announcing the closure of his restaurant after 11 years. (Sun photo by Erik Maza)
Pen & Quill
Pen and Quill, or “P&Q” for short, opened 6 years ago in the former Chesapeake Restaurant space. Owners announced in early July that the Station North eatery would close permanently. (Colby Ware, For The Baltimore Sun)
Villa Pizza in Westminster
Villa Pizza owners Vinnie and Teresa Fascelli decided earlier in June to close their franchise after almost 35 years at TownMall. Their daughter-in-law, Meagan Warehime, took to Facebook to make the official announcement June 20, saying the mall had not permitted the business to offer carryout during the pandemic. (Courtesy Photo)
Clyde's of Columbia
Clyde’s of Columbia shuttered July 19. The restaurant first opened in 1975 near Columbia’s Lake Kittamaqundi. “It breaks our heart to be closing, but after several years of struggling sales, the pandemic and the challenges music venues are now facing as a result, 2020 has dealt us a blow we simply cannot overcome,” John McDonnell, chief operating officer of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, said in a statement. (Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun photo)
The Urban Oyster
The Urban Oyster closed this July, about a year after it opened in the McHenry Row space formerly occupied by Ruby 8 Noodles & Sushi. Owner Jasmine Norton said in a Facebook post, said she will continue to serve in pop-up locations “until our new permanent location is determined.” (Christina Tkacik / Baltimore Sun)
Chez Hugo
Chez Hugo, a French-focused restaurant in downtown Baltimore, announced July 22 that it would close. In a statement posted to Facebook, owners Steve Monnier and Scott Helm attributed the decision to the restricted capacity at restaurants and “an understandable reluctance on the part of diners to visit indoor restaurants.” (Lloyd Fox / Baltimore Sun)
Jaxon Edwin Social House
Jaxon Edwin Social House, one of the three renovated Ellicott City businesses featured on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s “24 Hours to Hell and Back” earlier this year, has closed. Owner Jeff Braswell announced the closure in a Facebook post, saying, in part, that the combination barbershop, coffee bar and game room had to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic just a few days after reopening from the Ramsay renovation. (Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun Media Group)
Dick's Last Resort
Dick's Last Resort in Baltimore's Power Plant closed for good in September after 10 years in Baltimore's Power Plant. . (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)