The once buzzworthy Papi Cuisine, known for its viral crab cake egg rolls and Afro-Latin fusion dishes, has shut down its operations in Federal Hill, as per announcements from its co-owner Alex Perez. Technical difficulties involving "maintenance, plumbing, electrical, refrigeration and so on" were stated as the primary reasons for the closure, according to a video Perez posted to Instagram, which The Baltimore Banner initially reported. These issues hastened the end of Papi Cuisine's tenure in South Baltimore, further aggravated by a lease expiring in November and persistent issues like a backed-up grease trap forcing closures for "weeks at a time".
Reservations for the now-closed restaurant are being redirected to Proper Cuisine, a sister restaurant that promises a similar dining experience, located on 206 E. Redwood Street. Patrons who made reservations at Papi Cuisine should expect to dine at the establishment above shortly. The transition seeks to retain the loyal customer base without interruption. Papi Cuisine gained a significant following since its move to brick-and-mortar status back in 2020, eventually accumulating over 122,000 Instagram followers, an achievement highlighted during the restaurant's participation in Baltimore City's Black-Owned Restaurant Tour week in 2022, information that was echoed by a report from WMAR-2 News.
Papi Cuisine evolved from its original form as a ghost kitchen and catering company over a decade ago, to a celebrated dine-in location that Alex Perez and his business partner, Berry Clark, moved to Federal Hill two years following a stint in Fells Point since 2019. Despite the popularity and ambition of the brand, which aimed to expand across the country and one day globally, the hospitality venture faced challenges, including neighborhood protests over a liquor license and a fire incident last year that led to a woman being charged with second-degree arson; these events, however, were not factors in the decision to close, as reported by Clark in an interview with The Baltimore Banner.
