Lexington Market is losing a familiar caffeine fix this weekend, as Black Acres Roastery prepares to close its stall on Saturday, June 27, wrapping up about four years of serving coffee inside the downtown public market. Founder Travis Bell said the operation at the historic market had become unsustainable after underperforming at that location, and he thanked customers and staff for sticking with the business. Black Acres says it will keep serving regulars at its cafe inside Open Works during weekday hours.
In an Instagram post announcing the move, Bell set Saturday as the stall’s final day and kept his farewell short and gracious. “I am incredibly grateful to our team, our customers, and everyone who supported us,” he wrote, according to WMAR2 News. The station also reports that Bell described the Lexington Market stall as having “underperformed,” saying it was no longer sustainable to keep it open.
Black Acres came into Lexington Market as part of the market’s post-pandemic redevelopment and has operated out of the renovated south building since the market relaunched. The overhaul was pitched as a way to revive downtown commerce and spotlight local entrepreneurs, with the project backed by city support and vendor incentives, according to The Baltimore Banner.
Where to Find Black Acres Coffee
Fans of the roastery do not have to give up their favorite beans. Customers can still order drinks and purchase bags of coffee at the company’s cafe in the Open Works makerspace. The makerspace lists the cafe’s weekday hours as 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and confirms the Greenmount Avenue address, according to Open Works.
Market Context
The Lexington Market redevelopment carried an estimated $45 million price tag and was promoted as a way to center locally owned vendors in the downtown food hub. Local reporting has since tracked vendor turnover and continuing financial pressure on some small stalls even after the reopening and city assistance, per The Baltimore Banner.
Bell has not said whether Black Acres plans to look for another market stall elsewhere in the city. Lexington Market’s leasing team generally reviews available spaces and recruits new tenants as openings come up. For now, downtown customers can still order Black Acres coffee online, according to Black Acres Roastery, and the market’s merchant roster continues to show the Black Acres stall on its vendor map, per Lexington Market.
